Danger Nap

The early signs were genuinely encouraging. On debut, Danger Nap finished second at Aintree — a strong starting point by any measure — and then held his own in a Listed race at Cheltenham, one of the most demanding tracks in the country, beaten by only six lengths. Listed races sit just below the very top tier of British racing, so competing respectably in one as a young, inexperienced horse is worth noting. That suggested a horse with real ability, not just a make-weight.

What followed was more puzzling. His switch to racing over hurdles didn't go to plan, and trainer Jonjo O'Neill was candid about it: the horse simply wasn't right when he came home that day. A poor performance that can be explained by something physical is very different from one where a horse just isn't good enough, and the yard has been open about giving him time to recover properly before asking him to do it all again.

That O'Neill connection runs deep here. Jockey Jonjo O'Neill Jr — the trainer's son — has been in the saddle for six of Danger Nap's seven races and is still searching for a winner with him, a partnership with a 0 from 6 record. But loyalty between a yard and a jockey is often a sign that they believe something better is coming. The stable itself is in fine form this season, having already sent out 52 winners, so it's not as though horses in this yard don't know how to win.

Danger Nap raced just yesterday, which means he's firmly in active training and clearly being kept busy. A horse who ran well at Listed level at Cheltenham — the very town his trainer is based in — still has reasons to be interesting. The wins haven't come yet, but the raw material was there early. Whether he can find it again is the question worth following.