Nap of the Day: Pauling’s Gem to sparkle on debut

A winning return to the Nap of the Day hotseat, courtesy of Itsinthename (15/8) at Catterick on Tuesday. File that under 'things you love to see'.

More of the same in the north west of Wales on Wednesday? Let's hope so.

I'm not normally one to back debutants as there's next to nothing to go on, but that's the approach I'm taking on Wednesday.

There's lots to like about Ben Pauling's LONGHOUSE GEM - a six-year-old daughter of Diamond Boy bought after finishing a staying-on third in a point-to-point at Dromhane in December.

She's a full-sister to Grade 2-winning stablemate Diva Luna, who's a single-figure price for the Mares' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in a fortnight, and a half-sibling to Della Casa Lunga (rated 138 at her peak) for Clive Boultbee-Brooks.

Longhouse Gem, who also sports the same silks as the aforementioned Diva Luna, is bred to be useful and if she's even a fraction as good as her relatives, she ought to take all the beating in what rates a seriously modest mares' maiden hurdle.

Halftheworldaway aside - we'll get onto her in a moment - there's very little to be scared of in the nine-strong field.

Geordies Betty and Ufouria, rated 102 and 105 respectively, set a standard, but it's hardly a strong one. Far from it, in fact.

Iamyouare and Vale Of Tears must defy long breaks, while Looks Matter, Fine As Wine, Shouldvebeenshav and Seekingrainbows need to take huge steps forward.

I would be disappointed, and I presume connections would be too, if Longhouse Gem wasn't able to deal with those on her first day of school. Very disappointed.

Halftheworldaway (Oasis fans rejoice) for Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero poses a much bigger threat. The five-year-old daughter of Jet Away was a six-figure buy who's improved for each of her three runs to date, most recently when runner-up to a Dan Skelton-trained favourite.

She was beaten a long way on each occasion, though, and my point still stands - if Longhouse Gem is going to live up to her profile, she ought to be doing the business for a trainer in red-hot form (33% strike rate in the past fortnight).

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