NAP of the Day: More Glory for Hugo on the Roodee?

Unfortunately, the intended NAP of the Day for Friday was a non-runner before I could even hit 'publish'. That's the reason there was no selection.

Hopefully we'll at the very least get a run for our money from this one at Chester on Saturday. I'm hoping for more, though.

There's been a lot of early support for Andrew Balding's The Dancing Pirate ahead of the opener at Chester on Saturday, but I think STARDOM GLORY will take a bit of beating.

Trained by Hugo Palmer, who's mustard on the Roodee, there's a lot to like about the two-year-old son of Starspangledbanner in this six-furlong maiden.

On top of his address, he cost 90k guineas as a yearling and he's a half-brother to Rebel Tale, a retired Andrew Slattery gelding who reached a mark of 107 after just missing out in the G2 Futurity Stakes as a two-year-old back in 2019.

It's not just his profile, his form is good too. He split Karl Burke's Possessive and Mussab for the Faheys on debut at York last month. The latter gives it a particularly strong look, after his third in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Horse Racing Odds

Stardom Glory's effort can be marked up a little, too. He was slow intro stride and raced in rear throughout, on the far side of the track. He hung right and generally ran green, but saw it out strongly, suggesting more was to come.

It's hard to say if he improved for his return to the Knavesmire just over three weeks later, as it's hard to judge his conqueror, Charlie Appleby's Inneer City Blues. All we have to go on is that he's a son of Blue Point that cost €900k at a breeze-up just a month prior to that York victory. Probably quite useful, then.

I don't think there's anything of that ilk in this race. If there is anything, it's The Dancing Pirate, but I must admit I'm struggling to see the case for all the money. Famous last words.

I think these are much calmer waters and David Probet can ride them to glory - from the front, having earned the plum draw in stall 1. Rinse and repeat...

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