Nap of the Day: A Force to be reckoned with at Ascot?

The market spoke against Thursday's selection, Enchanted Queen, who just failed to reel in the well-backed Lady Roisia at Nottingham.

Hopefully there's more confidence behind the Nap of the Day for Friday - a highly-rated colt who skipped the Betfred St Leger for Listed fare at Ascot.

Doncaster's loss is Ascot's gain in regard to ARABIAN FORCE.

William Haggas opted against running the three-year-old son of Lope De Vega in the Betfred St Leger last month, for the reason of not wanting his first attempt over 1m6f to be in a Classic.

Instead, he experiments in the Noel Murless Stakes in Berkshire on Friday, with Haggas looking for an answer as to whether he's got a cup horse or a mile-and-a-half horse on his hands.

Arabian Force, who has a habit of doing his best work at the end of his races, certainly looked as if he'd appreciate a greater test of stamina in the Great Voltigeur at York's Ebor Festival in August, when a staying-on third to Knavesmire specialist Pride Of Arras.

A shoulder separated the selection and Royal Ascot winner Carmers in second - while Aidan O'Brien's Stay True (third in the Betfred St Leger) and Lambourn (dual Derby hero) filled the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

That's a strong piece of form, as is - albeit to a lesser extent - his second in a Listed event at Hamilton back in July, when just touched off by John & Thady Gosden's Nahraan. He went on to finish third in a Group 3 at Longchamp on his next start, behind Japanese star Croix Du Nord and Daryz, who bid for glory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Sunday.

As far as I’m concerned, there's nothing of that ilk in opposition this time. Not even close.

Ralph Beckett's Push The Limit boasts the highest rating of the seven rivals and is, as the betting suggests, the main danger, but he's rated eight pounds inferior to the selection.

Many Men posted a career-best performance in the Melrose at York in August and is respected under man-of-the-moment Oisin Murphy, but he's got even more to find to put it up to the favourite providing he runs to form. It’s hard to see where that improvement will come from on his 12th start.

That pair aside, it's a modest affair - hence the fact the next horse in the market is a double-figure price.

Arabian Force reminds me of Ten Pounds, a 9/4 winner (I'm still none-the-wiser as to why he was ever that price) for Nap of the Day followers at Kempton on Wednesday, in that he stands out like a sore thumb in this field. And yet, the market isn't quite reflecting that.

It's another odds-on shot parading as an odds-against chance in my book, and I expect him to take all the beating under the Tom Marquand drive.

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