Weekend NAP - January 4th

Last Week: Realt Dubh, won @ 9/10

2008: + 17.9

A pleasing ending to the 2008 NAP series, when despite Paul Carberry's best efforts to get it beat, Realt Dubh picked up well in the straight and collared the front-running Sorceror close home.
Overall, the year was a success with 16 of the 43 tips winning for a level-stakes profit of almost 18 points. My highlights were the dual winner Almass and Catch Me as well as Well Tutored and Won In The Dark. So onwards and upwards to 2009...

Naas 1.15 - Jayo

I can't have it that Made In Taipan will be in peak form here; his Leopardstown run was below-par and he should have finished a lot closer to Follow The Plan who he beat last time out (albeit in receipt of weight) while his jumping was lacklustre throughout. His trainer has a tendency to place his horses in what could be politely termed 'strange' ways and and this one looks to be suffering the effects of a number of hard races recently - this will be his sixth outing in less than 3 months.
Jayo wasn't too far behind Made In Taipan over hurdles(rated 137 as opposed to the favourite's 145) but more importantly, and unlike his main rival, he arrives here on an upward curve. His travelled all over some good horses last time and the form of his 2 previous runs has worked out - Good Fella, Top Of The Rock, Lochan Lacha and Askthemaster have all run well since. He gets a handy 4lbs allowance from the top and his yard are in infinitely better form than Made In Taipan's.
The others are out-classed with the possible exception of Chiraaz who surely needs further to show his best.