Nap of the Day: Super Skeltons to strike again at Bangor

Tuesday was a good example of why odds-on doesn't necessarily mean bad value. Race To Base, suggested at 8/13 on Monday evening, was sent off 1/5 at Hereford and duly bolted up by over eight lengths.

A great start to the week for Nap of the Day followers - here's to hoping it continues as we visit Bangor on Wednesday.

After a slow start to the season, the Skeltons are starting to fire on all cylinders.

Dan has trained 18 winners from 69 runners (26% strike rate) in the last fortnight, while Harry is operating at 32% (14 winners from 44 rides).

Bar the vastly superior ones like Mydaddypaddy, our 15/2 favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle after his stylish success at Carlisle on Monday, their novice hurdlers have looked in need of the run. Badly.

With that in mind, I'm hoping for a much-improved performance from IN THE AGE at Bangor on Wednesday.

The five-year-old son of Saint Des Saints, who fetched £100k after winning a point-to-point in Ireland in March last year, made his debut over hurdles in a Class 3 maiden at Aintree a couple of weeks ago, finishing fifth of seven, over 14 lengths off the pace.

Given his SP of 9/4f, it was underwhelming, but he just got tired late on after making a bit of headway two out. Under the circumstances, that's easily forgiven.

The form is relatively decent, too. The winner was fourth in a warm maiden at Uttoxeter previously and the runner-up was a 16-length PTP winner who made £155k at the sales. The third and fourth are no mugs either.

In The Age's bumper form has some depth to it, too. His beating of previous winner North Of Richmond at Southwell 11 months ago was franked when Alex Hales' gelding opened his account over timber at the first attempt at Fakenham a few weeks back - while Unjeu Royal, who the selection tried and failed to concede a stone and five pounds to, was thought enough of to run in the Grade 2 at Aintree's Grand National meeting on his subsequent start.

He's clearly a horse we're yet to see the best of. I'm hoping that's been reserved for Wednesday.

If he shows the amount of improvement I'm suggesting, he could be difficult to beat against four rivals lacking match fitness.

Jacks Parrot is the one I fear most. He's a 119-rated chaser but hasn't gone over the smaller obstacles in two-and-a-half years, which is a major concern. If he can run to that same standard, he's a big danger under seven-pound claimer Ben Smith.

Firm But Fair is interesting on rules debut after fetching £60k for finishing a distant third between the flags earlier in the year. The winner of that race, trained by Gordon Elliott, has a lofty reputation so I'm eager to see how this one gets on. He was beaten a long way, though.

On his best form, Pragnell can't be discounted either, but Skuna Bay is already looking a little exposed and I'll be disappointed if he beats us.

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