Nap of the Day: Scorsese can continue in the right direction

Ouch. Walkadina tanked through her race at Ludlow on Wednesday and I was counting my pennies until she found precious little after an untidy jump at the last. She was collared just before the line.

The wait for a Nap of the Day winner this week goes on - and I'm drawn to the action at Wincanton on Thursday in a bid to get back among it.

I've got major doubts about the majority of the field for this 2m4f handicap chase at Wincanton on Thursday.

Paul Nicholls' Toothless returns from 571 days on the sidelines, during which he nearly died of colic and needed major surgery. That's a big ask.

South Omo Zone, who's got a 205-day layoff to defy, beat less than a handful of rivals in his last three starts and his mark of 118 is unchanged. Olly Murphy's seven-year-old needs a total transformation.

Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Jeremy Scott saddles two, including Pilsdon Pen who's only managed two starts in as many years. He failed to show his usual enthusiasm on either occasion and although stable jockey Lorcan Williams prefers him to Joe Cotton, I can't help but think he's got a lot on his plate as he reappears from 232 days off the track.

Sea Invasion was in good order during the spring, winning back-to-back races at Plumpton prior to a 207-day break, but he tends to need his first run or two of the season. He's also up a couple of pounds from when last seen.

Kalif d'Airy and the aforementioned Joe Cotton have less to answer for, but the former, who wears a tongue-tie and cheekpieces, is up six pounds for winning a modest race - and I'm convinced Scott's second-string was set to finish behind SCORSESE at Fontwell last month but for the latter's fall at the penultimate fence.

Neil Mulholland's seven-year-old son of Shirocco did everything right up until the point of departure. He jumped soundly out in front and was yet to be asked a serious question by Connor O'Farrell, who maintains the partnership on Thursday.

It's difficult to speculate where exactly he'd have finished, but to my eye he was going as well as anything else and had plenty left under the bonnet.

His performance was a big step up from the one he put in at Cheltenham on reappearance in late October. That was a good race, mind, and he clearly needed it. The fact he was sent off 33/1, despite winning a couple of handicap hurdles by a combined 21 lengths at the end of last season, says it all.

Interestingly, his trainer told the Racing Post in a recent stable tour that he sent the selection there "as we hope he can return later in the season". I'm not sure what race they've got in mind, but the suspicion is they think he's ahead of his mark.

I agree - and if we're right, he must have an excellent chance in Somerset on Thursday.

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