Nap of the Day: Let your Ego wander at Huntingdon on Wednesday

I'm still in shock that A Pai De Nom, backed in from 9/4 to around even money, didn't win at Uttoxeter on Saturday. A bad beat for Nap of the Day followers.

It's modest fare across the cards on Wednesday, but the one I'm drawn to comes from Huntingdon, for the excellent Olly Murphy-Sean Bowen combination.

Surely it's time for WANDERING EGO to make a return to the winners' enclosure?

Olly Murphy's six-year-old Order Of St George gelding, in the Whateley colours that have become synonymous with the Warwickshire outfit, has only managed the one win in five starts over hurdles this season.

He was beaten at 5/4f on debut at Perth in September, before bolting up at the second time of asking at his trainer's local track, Stratford-upon-Avon, in October. A mere 14-length success, over a field including the 118-rated Brace For Landing for the Skeltons.

There's absolutely no shame in his subsequent defeat at Kempton to last week's Supreme hero Old Park Star - and he wasn't at all disgraced on handicap debut back at the Surrey venue over Christmas off a mark of 124.

I was, I suppose, a little underwhelmed by his second at Taunton last month, but the market spoke strongly in favour of Paul Nicholls' winner Grand Vendetta, who was in receipt of seven pounds. The selection finished a whopping 18 lengths clear of the rest of his rivals.

That was also his first time over further than two miles, on heavy ground. I don't think he stayed, given he was still on the bridle and no doubt trading at very short prices on approach to the penultimate hurdle.

Back over the minimum on a much sounder surface, with a modest field in opposition, he ought to be every bit as hard to beat as the market suggests.

The obvious danger is Mariole for Nicky Henderson. The four-year-old, who didn't go without promise on hurdling debut at Taunton just over a month ago, is in receipt of over a stone and can give us the most to think about. He needs to step up, though.

If Dream Diamond was to bounce back to his best, or at least something like, for James Owen, he's got every right to make his presence felt too. That seems unlikely, though, on the evidence of his last couple of runs.

The likes of Saxon Cross and Secret Sniper have loads to find as far as I'm concerned - and debutant Calvert, a flat horse rated 81 at his peak, doesn't look an obvious candidate for jumping. Famous last words.

Those aside, it's 100/1 bar. Wandering Ego is unlikely to get a better opportunity to return to winning ways. I'm betting he will do just that.

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