Don’t Stop For A Second On Step

There’s about four hours between Ayr and Newbury Racecourses but in terms of their racing ground on Saturday, they are worlds apart.

Ayr have been forced to call off their flagship Gold Cup meeting but Newbury will race on ground with firm in the description. That could suit a past Group 1 winner who has been returning to form lately.

Second win on the trot for Step
Second Step (2:15 Newbury), was a Group 1 winner two years ago when trained by Luca Cumani but the six-year-old is returning to form this year in his first season with Roger Charlton and he can get his third win of the campaign here in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes.

Second Step has won twice in listed grades this year but has shown on his other two efforts that he is still capable of mixing it at this level. This may prove a good bit of placing by Charlton.

Quick ground seems to be a key to him and he can hold off the progressive Fabricate who is on a hat-trick and former Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner, My Dream Boat.

Dare To Win
Alan King won the Cesarewitch a couple of seasons ago with Grumeti and he can win the trial for this year’s renewal of the race with Who Dares Wins, 3:10 Newmarket.

A highly rated hurdler, Who Dares Wins has had his last three starts on the flat.

The last of these runs will need to be ignored but that is easily done given the trip was shy of his best.

Prior to that, he was fourth in the Chester Cup, only beaten a length and a half, and third behind Thomas Hobson at Royal Ascot. This form is good enough to suggest he can give a good account of himself off a mark of 93 and with a lovely racing weight of 9st on his back.

The highly rated hurdler was third to Supasundae in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and with a bit of luck in running at Newmarket, he’ll outrun his odds of 16/1.

No Napping with Joseph
Market moves could provide the best guide to Katnap’s chances in the At The Races Handicap Chase (4:40 Navan),

…but the 10-year-old is trusted to score for Joseph O’Brien and JJ Slevin.

O’Brien’s charge has been off since April when he finished a game second in the Topham Chase at Aintree over the Grand National fences and while he isn’t getting any younger, the 10-year-old could still have a race like this in him.

Whether or not he’ll able be to land a big pot over the winter off a light weight remains to be seen. Although, in this type of company, if fit enough, which you’d have to think he will be coming from O’Brien, this race looks ideal for Katnap who should get through the ground without much of an issue.

Recommended Bets:
Second Step (4/1) – 2:15 Newbury
Who Dares Wins (10/1) – 3:10 Newmarket
Katnap (3/1) – 4:40 Navan

*Prices correct at time of publication