NAP of the Day: In-form Palmer to strike again

There’s only one jumps meeting – Sandown – on Friday, which I’ve already covered here, so it’s a rare visit to the flat for my NAP of the Day.

Hugo Palmer is very much a trainer in-form. At time of writing – before his one runner at Chelmsford on Thursday evening – he’s operating at a 33% strike rate, with four wins from his last 12 runners.

That’s just one of the reasons why I make Souffionne a cracking bet at 5/1 for this 0-75 handicap over 7f.

The three-year-old son of No Nay Never was fourth, beaten as many lengths, on his racecourse debut at Southwell back in October in a surprisingly strong novice event, before getting off the mark over Friday’s course and distance just under a month later.

He beat two decent yardsticks – namely Moon Flight (rated 74) and Britannica (rated 75) – up in Newcastle that day and showed a great attitude in doing so. He stuck to the job nicely once he hit the front, and wasn’t ever for passing.

Given the improvement shown between his two starts to date and the calibre of horses he beat the last day, I’m hopeful this colt can prove better than an opening mark of 75.

This looks a winnable race, too. The majority, bar perhaps Sir Maxi who seemed to relish a return to the all-weather last time out, are completely exposed now, whereas the selection looks to following a steep-enough trajectory.