NAP of the Day: Royal Ascot third to star at Sandown on Thursday

I've got egg on my face after Wednesday at Worcester. I'd brushed aside the Barry Brennan-trained Provision in favour of Dan Skelton's Iwanttobreakfree, only for the former to beat the latter by 10 widening lengths.

Jumps racing in July? I should've known better. So, it's back to the flat for the NAP of the Day on Thursday.

The highlight on Thursday is the Star Stakes at Sandown - a Listed event over seven furlongs for two-year-old fillies - and I'm backing APEROLL to shine.

Richard Hannon's daughter of Ghaiyyath, owned by Johnny de la Hey, finished third, just under a length off the pace, in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

She attempted to make all under Pat Dobbs, and it very almost paid off. A brave effort.

It was confirmation of the promise showed on debut at Newbury just 17 days earlier, when beating the Andrew Balding-trained Scommessa Sicura by a length. The latter has won since, earning a mark of 91.

The third-placed Eabha, rated 81, has also found her way into the winners' enclosure in the meantime, at Epsom just under a fortnight ago. There's depth to that form.

You don't need me to explain the strength of finishing third in the Chesham on the biggest of stages, but I will tell you this: Aperoll's form is a clear standout in Thursday's field.

Horse Racing Odds

The selection has already got the better of the reopposing Tall Trees, who was behind the aforementioned Scommessa Sicura last time out. That's her held on two pieces of form.

War Banner boasts a highly-attractive profile as a 230k guineas son of Dark Angel for Ralph Beckett and Victorious Racing who's 1-1, but the form of that three-runner race at Newmarket on debut is questionable. Very questionable, in fact.

Another representative of powerful connections, in Harry Charlton and Juddmonte Stud, is Celestia, but she's got a bit to prove for me. Grey Tamam, Lady Caroline Lamb and Guadalevin are in the same boat.

Bayside View is the main danger according to the betting, which I completely agree with. Michael Bell's filly was just touched off in a Class 2 on debut at Doncaster before bolting up by five lengths at Newbury next time out, in the same grade. The form is questionable, but she looks classy.

Classy enough to beat Aperoll, who placed at Royal Ascot and holds entries for the Lowther at York in August and the Moyglare - a Grade 1 - at the Curragh in September? Not for me. She ought to take a good bit of beating here.

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