Nap of the Day: Believe in Lasko at Exeter on Thursday

Sean Bowen. Great to have on side, but a menace to oppose. The Champion Jockey was, for me at least, the difference between Highlands Legacy winning and losing at Newbury. Unfortunately for Nap of the Day followers, it was the latter, as Bowen's mount got the better of the selection under that famous drive.

Fingers crossed for a bit more luck on Thursday, as a winner or two would be very welcome before the busy festive period.

Yes, fellow Ted Lasso fans, the title is a reference to the Emmy-winning TV series. I'll be walking around the house saying 'whistle' in the most stereotypical cockney accent for the rest of the night now - much to the dismay of my better half . Genuinely.

All jokes aside, there are many reasons to believe in LASKO DES OBEAUX in the opener at Exeter on Thursday.

Harry Derham's four-year-old, a half-brother to Haddex Des Obeaux who reached a career-high rating of 153, was runner-up to the well-regarded Lemmy Caution, now with Gordon Elliott at Cullentra, in a point-to-point at Monksgrange back in March.

A few days later, in the sales ring after the opening day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree, he fetched £120k and was sent into training with Derham in Berkshire.

He made his first start for the yard, and debut under rules, in a novice event at Chepstow last month that went the way of Doctors Hill for Philip Hobbs & Johnson White. He's since finished a good third on handicap debut, off a mark of 116.

So, the selection has already performed to a relatively-high standard, and he remains open to any amount of improvement.

I expect him to put away his six rivals on Thursday that have already jumped a hurdle in public. His form is superior, and he's got more scope too.

If anything's going to upset the odds-on favourite, I'd imagine it'll be Harry Fry's On The Bayou, who goes over obstacles for the first time.

The five-year-old son of Affinisea also cost a pretty penny from the PTP scene and he wasn't disgraced on rules debut in a bumper at Newbury this October. This demands more, but he is entitled to improve after his first run following a 563-day layoff.

Unless he takes a giant step forward, I don't see anything to trouble Lasko Des Obeaux here - for all that he's priced accordingly.

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