Nap of the Day: Lisnamurrican warning at Warwick

It was an all-too-familiar tale at Wetherby on Thursday. Pleasington, the Nap of the Day advised at 2/1, was backed into odds-on but never went a yard under Sean Bowen before falling three out. Not even a run for our money, if we're being honest.

Hopefully no such tales on Friday, as we go to Warwick eyeing a promising Nicky Henderson-trained mare.

In receipt of weight from her two main rivals, I give LISNAMURRICAN a big chance in this mares' novices' hurdle over 2m3f at Warwick on Friday.

Nicky Henderson's six-year-old daughter of Walk In The Park was 'only' second on rules debut at Huntingdon last month - more on that in a moment - so escapes a penalty, which can't be said for Jackie Hobbs and Betty's Daisy after their victories at Newbury and Ludlow respectively.

The former won a nice enough race in Berkshire and wasn't disgraced in Listed company at Haydock just before Christmas, so she sets the standard in Friday's field. Not an unachievable one, though. Far from it, in fact.

Betty's Daisy ran poorly on her hurdling debut but improved to get off the mark at the second time of asking. I don't think much of that Ludlow form, though. Her seven-pound burden is eased by Callum Pritchard's valuable three-pound claim.

Back to the selection's appearance in a 2m4½f maiden hurdle at Huntingdon. She proved no match for the even-money favourite Draco Malfoy, for the Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls outfit, but finished a whopping 24 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

The winner has since split the 122-rated Get On George, a runner in the G2 River Don at Doncaster on Saturday, and Tiddesley Wood (125), adding substance to the form.

Lisnamurrican's point-to-point form is very smart, too. After defeat to the expensive Swing Davis, now with Gordon Elliott, in April 2024, she beat Oldschool Outlaw over 200 days later in December.

The latter, also an inmate at Cullentra House, beat Champion Bumper heroine and Mares' Novices' Hurdle favourite Bambino Fever earlier in the season, causing a certain JP McManus to get his chequebook out. She goes in the Solerina at Fairyhouse this weekend.

All the signs point to the selection being a relatively smart mare and with a run under her belt, against her own sex and receiving weight from the market principals, she's Nap material for me.

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