NAP of the Day: Capo can say Ciao to Wetherby rivals

A 5/1 winner on Wednesday in the form of Lillie Margot at Nottingham. Things are tipping along nicely, ahead of a Classic weekend.

Let's hope to keep the momentum going, with one at Wetherby on Thursday that appears to be on an upwards trajectory.

I suspect the handicapper has been rather kind to CIAO CAPO after his victory at Beverley just over three weeks ago.

Richard & Peter Fahey's three-year-old son of Lope Y Fernandez was raised only three pounds for his exploits in Yorkshire, despite winning a good bit easier than the official margin of one-and-a-quarter lengths suggests.

He was enjoying the perfect trip until the turn for home, just over three furlongs out, where he ended up stuck behind a wall of horses and forced to drift all the way out wide. Once in the clear, about a furlong and a bit later, he powered home under Oisin Orr, who only needed the one use of his whip to get the job done.

For my money, he was much the best horse on the day and a rise of five, six, or maybe even seven pounds would've been just. But nope. Three.

That means he's only a couple of pounds higher than the mark he competed off on seasonal reappearance at Ripon in April, when catching the eye in fourth of 11. Given the way the race panned out, on his first start in 143 days and since being gelded, the solitary pound of relief was the first bit of generous handicapping.

Horse Racing Odds

The early signs are the form of Ciao Capo's victory in Beverley is relatively decent, too. The third-placed Regulus Black, sent off 11/8f, won at Chepstow 17 days later and he's up five pounds as a result.

I get the impression we're looking at a progressive horse, who ought to have a lot more to offer going forward, especially over this 1m2f trip. The aforementioned Beverley win was his only his first attempt at the distance.

The €45k gelding is allowed to compete in another Class 6 thanks to that lenient-looking rise, and it looks a winnable one at that.

As far as I'm concerned, he's got a big chance of giving NAP of the Day backers another cause to celebrate this week.

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