NAP of the Day: Side with Morris Dancer at HQ

NAP of the Day followers were back among the winners on Wednesday, courtesy of Quantum Swift at Chepstow under an excellent ride from Sean Levey, who didn't waste his one opportunity in South East Wales. Of course he didn't.

Same again on Thursday? We go to Newmarket for the opening day of its July Festival looking to repeat the feat.

I expect MORRIS DANCER to take all the beating in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.

John & Thady Gosden's three-year-old was friendless ahead of his return from a 311-day layoff in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, but it's fair to say it wasn't a sign of things to come.

The son of Palace Pier was third of 16 in that Group 3 over seven furlongs, finishing just under five lengths off the pace. He caught my eye in defeat. Big time.

In rear throughout, he started to make headway around the three-furlong pole and soon enough he was battling for a place. The further they went, the better he got.

That bodes well for this step back up to a mile at HQ. The only time he's tackled that trip to date was at Salisbury last summer, on his final start at two, as he beat the 107-rated A Bit Of Spirit, sent off odds-on, by four widening lengths.

Before that, he was just touched off by subsequent Group 1 winner Zavateri in the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. If that was over a mile, he'd have won. No doubt about it.

Horse Racing Odds

On either effort, Morris Dancer sets the standard in the field of seven for this Listed event over a mile - and that's without considering the significant amount of improvement he's open to.

I suppose Wild Desert brings a similar level of form to the table after his narrow defeat in the G1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine just under 300 days ago, but the fact William Buick rides the selection and not Charlie Appleby's Too Darn Hot colt, who's yet to run since that visit to Canada, is telling.

Shayem for Karl Burke is respected after bouncing back to form in the German 2000 Guineas last time out, finishing runner-up to Simon & Ed Crisford's subsequent Belmont Derby hero Title Role, but on the evidence of his other seven runs, he's got a good bit to find.

Eleven pounds is how much the handicapper believes Conclave has to make up on the selection, who was over six lengths in front of the reopposing Colori Forever at Ascot.

Stablemate Oxagon has it all to prove after disappointing in the Betfred 2000 Guineas, French Derby and Hampton Court on his last three starts, while French raider Lyneham is hard to advise on all known form.

This looks a good opportunity for Morris Dancer. Providing he doesn't bounce, he ought to be hard to beat.

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