NAP of the Day: Apple’s Of Bresil to land Navan bumper

Taken to get us back on track after Friday’s 9/2 NAP was marginally denied after a luckless run is a bumper horse who seems to have quite the reputation.

I, like many, was extremely surprised at the amount of support behind Apple’s Of Bresil ahead of a bumper at the Punchestown Festival, no less, on his first ever start earlier this year.

Considering the level of opposition, it was a clear indicator as to the regard the five-year-old is held in by Cheltenham Festival-winning owner/trainer Barry Connell.

Relative to market expectation, the selection underperformed that day, but in hindsight I don’t think it was a bad performance at all. He was entitled to find it too much, too soon, and probably ought to have been beaten much further given how green he looked throughout.

We know that’s a strong piece of form. Willie Mullins’ Ballyburn needs no introduction, while stablemate Dancing City won previously and is a relatively short-priced later for a maiden hurdler earlier on Saturday’s card – and Slade Steel is unbeaten either side of that run at Punchestown.

With that run and a summer under his belt, I’m expecting a much-improved Apple’s Of Bresil who should set a fair standard for market rivals My Trump Card and Spingt De La Mare to reach.

The latter is an exciting PTP recruit who likely wants further in time and therefore may find this too sharp, while Gordon Elliott’s runner is surely here with fitness in mind having already made his hurdling debut almost exactly a year ago.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see plenty of money for the selection again before hopefully getting off the mark at the second attempt.