NAP of the Day: Super Saber to Strike at Ascot on Saturday

A big, fat zero winners for NAP of the Day followers at this year's Royal Ascot. I can only apologise, and try to end on a winning note on Saturday.

As it goes, I do believe I've saved the best till last...

NAP of the day? NAP of the week, for me.

I've got high hopes for SABER STRIKE in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday.

William Haggas' three-year-old Night Of Thunder colt is unbeaten in two starts to date, looking every inch a Group 1 horse in the making.

I'd heard whispers ahead of his run at Newmarket last month, which was only the second of his career and first at three. Creating quite an impression on the gallops at Somerville Lodge, apparently.

You wouldn't have thought so, looking at the betting at HQ. He was sent off 11/2, but it wasn't an indication of things to come as he went on to create a mighty impression.

Defying a slow start and greenness, he pulled over a length clear of Charlie Appleby's 104-rated Cerro Blanco, who had the experienced Stellar Sunrise (103) trailing by a further three lengths. Ellusive Butterfly (96), Maximised (98) and Jel Pepper (99) in third, fourth and fifth respectively are no mugs either.

Horse Racing Odds

After the race, Haggas said something I found very interesting after the events of Friday. He said: "I was comforted by the way his [Saber Strike] workmate Division ran at Ascot."

That's the 109-rated Division, third in the Commonwealth Cup behind Venetian Sun. There's a very fair argument that he was unlucky not to win the race, too.

Saber Strike's also been working alongside Lake Forest - the 115-rated Group 2 winner twice runner-up at the highest level - and a mysterious third horse of late, per Haggas himself in a Royal Ascot preview night with The Sun.

Only Morris Dancer (110) and The Prettiest Star (109) boast a rating higher than Saber Strike (108), so in theory he doesn't even need to find all that much improvement to win the Jersey - but given his address, we can expect plenty of it. Haggas' string tend to take a significant step forward for their first run of the season.

We're yet to experience a real 'wow' moment at this Royal Ascot, certainly not from a young horse anyway. I wonder, has it been saved for the final day?

I'm hoping so, but I'll settle for anything as long as he's first past the post. Otherwise, I'll head straight to the fridge, fry an egg and put it on my face myself.

Check out our NAPs Table daily to find a list of the experts' best bets