Nap of the Day: Debutant to stick it to the man at Lingfield

The wait for a winning Nap of the Day this week goes on after Wednesday's selection, Spadestep, was a non-runner at Wetherby - just 15 minutes before the off. Frustrating.

Hopefully it won't be a long wait, for I've got high hopes about one in Surrey on Thursday.

I suspect Mondo Man will prove popular for this two-mile novices' hurdle at Lingfield on Thursday.

The four-year-old was a smart operator on the flat in France for Pia & Joakim Brandt before joining Gary & Josh Moore to go jumping here in the UK at the start of the year.

He was touted as a Triumph Hurdle contender around this time last year, but failed to meet such expectations.

I suppose he was unfortunate to bump into Lulamba, runner-up in the Triumph subsequently prior to winning a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival, on his debut at Ascot in January, but he was in receipt of 10lbs at the same time. He also looked a very difficult ride.

With the benefit of the doubt, he was sent off odds-on for the Adonis at Kempton a month later but once again let punters down, missing out to Mambonumberfive and St Pancras.

Despite failing to get off the mark over hurdles, connections tried their luck at the Cheltenham Festival and he could only manage ninth of 17, finishing 30 lengths off the pace.

Mondo Man ran back on the flat over the summer, in a Group 3 at Chester, and fared well enough, but another defeat made it just one win in 11 career starts.

He's untrustworthy and unless there's been significant improvement, both physically and mentally, during the 203 days he's been off the track, I worry he'll continue to disappoint.

I'm therefore very keen to oppose him, and MOSSY FEN ROAD is the one to do it with.

Harry Derham loves this five-year-old son of Flemensfirth, who fetched €75k as a store prior to bolting up in a point-to-point in March last year. He's been billed as potentially one for the spring festivals.

He looked up to that sort of ability when landing a Wetherby bumper back in February in some style, but was a touch underwhelming in Grade 2 company at Aintree's Grand National meeting a couple of months later.

The half-brother to Grade 1 winner Fury Road was too keen on Merseyside, and his trainer believes he didn't act on the quick ground, but it wasn't a completely hopeless performance. Far from it.

He's back on a sounder surface on Thursday and bar the aforementioned Mondo Man, he's got little to beat.

Dutch Corner will almost certainly need the run. Skelton's novices are this season - and this one returns from 245 days on the sidelines having had wind surgery. Oh, and he sports a first-time hood and tongue tie. The alarm bells are ringing.

Reteti and Somkiyr are 80/1 and 100/1 respectively for good reason. It'd be a big shock if they were to get involved.

Mossy Fen Road could be a smart individual for an up-and-coming trainer who's started the season well and I'm hopeful he'll make a winning start over hurdles.

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