NAP of the Day: Side with 2/1 Shader at Southwell on Tuesday

There’s NINE races scheduled at Southwell on Tuesday, including a fascinating novice event over 1m4f at 16:15.

My NAP of the Day is a once-raced son of Shamardal for John & Thady Gosden who goes in that very contest.

This isn’t a typical field for Southwell on a Tuesday. The 14-strong lineup includes progeny of Sea The Stars, Golden Horn, Dubawi and Galileo, to name just a few, who are represented by some of the most powerful connections in the game.

One of those is Eben Zaabeel, owned by Shadwell Estate and in the care of Charles Hills, who sets the standard courtesy of five runs to date.

However, the 79-rated son of Sea The Stars has failed to win during that time and comes here off the back of a 70-day break, during which he was gelded. He’s very opposable in my book.

Some of the other runners – namely Yosemite Gold, Falsetto and Don Simon – make slight appeal, but it’s the Gosdens’ SHADER who gets my vote.

The three-year-old, who dons the famous green, pink and white silks of Juddmonte Stud, has had just one run, in a competitive maiden at Yarmouth, and he emerged with credit despite doing plenty wrong throughout.

Not only was he extremely slow out the gates, losing several lengths on his five rivals, but he ran greenly under Benoit De La Sayette before making good progress in the final couple of furlongs to finish a never-nearer third.

The winner James Webb was rated 84 before Yarmouth and he’s since been raised four pounds, while the runner-up Northern Ruler, who was sent off 10/11f, cost 500,000gns and was having his second run following a highly-promising debut at Windsor.

I think that’s decent form, certainly in the context of Tuesday’s race and given the sizeable amount of improvement that can be expected from the selection.

With the step up in trip to suit also, he rates excellent value at 2/1.

Click the link to see all Today’s Horse Races

Tune into Betfred Insights regularly to find my NAP of the Day