Nap of the Day: Hayley’s top job – don’t fluff the start

Our hat-trick bid faltered in the Ascot turf yesterday, but for a long way I was planning my gracious, ever-so-humble (not) acceptance speech as the plaudits rolled in, as surely they would.

Alas – not much found off the steel, but a highly-respectable effort (4th, beaten 3l) and a promising horse only really beginning to get the hang of things. As they defiantly say in moments like these – we go again, starting with the 16:25 at Newcastle, for our very next Nap Of The Day on Saturday July 27.

Today’s Horse Races

16:25 Newcastle – Struck Gold @ 15/2

I tipped this one up at this very track 30 days ago and the four-year-old No Nay Never gelding completely lost the plot at the start.

At this one mile trip, same grade, and off a mark a pound higher than today, he made up a great deal of ground after that terrible beginning to finish a near-miraculous eighth, beaten just 3.5l. It’s not hard to see that with anything like a normal exit he’d have been bang on the premises.

As indeed he was at Yarmouth on soft turf in June, again running on stoutly in the grade to be beaten just over a length. Now there are infinitely better-equipped and talented horses running today but I just feel this one’s chance is undeniable – and guess who’s doing the steering? None other than Hayley Turner.

If anyone can finesse a well-timed finish on a closer she certainly can. Hayley has a good book of rides in my view, and it might pay to keep on the right side of her courtesy of a few little e/w dabbles here and there?

Struck Gold is trained at Newmarket by John Butler and they return to the scene of the poor start to make amends – and I reckon they just might. Hayley is outstanding and I believe the horse is handicapped to strike gold all right.

A sporting, value nap for our racing Saturday.

Nap Of The Day from Betfred Insights.