NAP of the Day: Velvet no soft touch on handicap debut

I'm back in the NAP of the Day hotseat after a week on the sidelines. Minor setback, but I'm back in full training now.

Hopefully it'll be a swift return to the winners' enclosure, courtesy of one for a bang in-form trainer in what I'm hoping proves the lucky last at Nottingham.

The finale at Nottingham on Tuesday is a 0-75 handicap over the minimum trip of five furlongs. Blink and you'll miss it.

Come On Over is expected to prove popular at the head of the market. David O'Meara's three-year-old son of Kodiac has improved plenty since sporting a visor, and he's only up four pounds as a result of his duck-breaking success at Doncaster earlier in the month.

However, he steps up in class and down in trip, which raises a couple of questions. Enough for me to look elsewhere.

My eyes are instantly drawn to VELVET GOLDMINE for the in-form Ed Walker, who's enjoyed four winners from his last 11 runners (36% strike rate).

This three-year-old Starman filly, who fetched €56k as a foal, was pitched into a Class 2 maiden at Newmarket on debut. Understandably, it proved a tall order for the selection, who beat just three rivals home, trailing the 101-rated winner Act Of Kindness by over 11 lengths.

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That was her only run at two, returning 234 days later at Newbury with her sights lowered. It - being a Class 4 maiden - wasn't enough to see her open her account, but her third of six, just a length-and-a-half adrift of a couple of subsequent winners in Sea Cookie (now rated 86) and Miss Nightcap (79), was a big step forward.

Just under a fortnight later, Velvet Goldmine was back in action at Bath, this time over five-and-a-half furlongs. She was just touched off on this occasion, by a shoulder, to one of Eve Johnson Houghton's who I suspect was well-in after running over inadequate trips.

I'm certain that, on raw ability, she's ahead of her opening mark of 69. The problem is, she's green as grass and races far too enthusiastically.

Hopefully the combination of the drop in trip and the application of a hood will bring about an improvement on that front, allowing her to put her best foot forward.

If able to do so, I think she'll take a bit of beating under the brilliant Tom Marquand.

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