NAP of the Day: Crouch can stoke Beckett filly to victory

There's no sugar-coating it, I'm in a bad run of form - but there's some fantastic racing at this time of year and therefore plenty of opportunities to turn things around.

Starting at Salisbury on Thursday, as I'm sweet on the chances of a filly for Ralph Beckett. She's the NAP of the Day.

William Haggas, Ralph Beckett and Harry Charlton each send a promising filly to Salisbury on Thursday and as far as the betting's concerned at time of publication, there's little to split the representatives of the former two - Pierian and ALMA LATINA.

I'm with the latter, for Beckett and Hector Crouch in the colours of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning owner Kirsten Rausing.

The three-year-old daughter of Study Of Man was third, just over four lengths behind Ed Walker's Felicitas, who was just touched off in the G3 Musidora Stakes at York on Wednesday, on debut at Sandown last month.

The runner-up, Ribbon Of Sea for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, is no mug either. The daughter of Sea The Stars cost 1.6m guineas and was a comfortable winner of a decent affair at Wolverhampton the previous month.

Alma Latina ran a race of considerable promise in Surrey, starting slowly and showing signs of greenness, particularly under pressure in the final furlong or two.

She wasn't beaten all that far in the end, finishing particularly strongly, giving the impression she'll improve plenty for the run.

I'm expecting a more polished performance in Wiltshire on Thursday. To be honest, I think she'll take a bit of beating.

For all she's well-bred and represents the Haggas yard, whose runners are coming on immensely for a run, there's reason to be confident about holding Pierian.

She was beaten by stablemate Sea The Storm, despite receiving seven pounds, who was dead last in the aforementioned Musidora, 14 lengths off Felicitas, who the selection finished much closer to at Sandown.

Take A View, the Charlton runner, is harder to get a handle on. She was third in a Newbury maiden won by Cheshire Oaks runner-up I'm The One. Perhaps she's better judged on the proximity (just over a length) to the runner-up Allaire, rather than the winner, given the margin of defeat. That's still a decent piece of form, though, so she's not out of this.

But it's Alma Latina who convinces most and will carry my hard-earned.

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