Nap of the Day: Godolphin gelding has Moore to offer

I can't help but feel Nap of the Day followers were unfortunate not to be celebrating a 5/1 winner at Goodwood on Friday, as the well-backed Displaying got going far too late and had to settle for second. There's no doubt in my mind he was the best horse in the race.

Hopefully there's no hard luck stories with Saturday's selection, who goes in the opener at Sandown.

Under the outstanding Ryan Moore, WATCHING STARS is taken to land the second win of his career at Sandown on Saturday.

With Charlie Appleby's stable jockey William Buick engaged at York for the Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes, Aidan O'Brien's main man will put on the famous Godolphin silks and get the leg up on this three-year-old son of Sea The Stars.

His mount took three attempts to open his account last year, improving for his racecourse debut at Newmarket and subsequent effort at Goodwood to beat seven rivals in a novice event at Thirsk in September.

A month later, he returned to HQ for his handicap debut, stepped right up in trip from seven furlongs to 1m2f. Off an opening mark of 84, he was third of six, over 10 lengths adrift of the winner.

There's no shortage of excuses for that underperformance. It was his fourth run in just over two months and the ground was pretty desperate, making it an even greater test of stamina. I think it came too soon in his career.

Watching Stars was gelded a couple of days later and then put away for over 170 days, returning at Newmarket this April in a warm handicap won by the now 90-rated King Casper.

The selection finished fourth, just over five lengths off the pace, under James Doyle, doing all his best work at the finish. An encouraging reappearance.

Improvement followed as he stepped back up to 1m2f at the Suffolk venue - and up in grade from Class 4 to Class 3 - and was just touched off by Jack Channon's Lightening Mann, who almost defied a four-pound rise in a higher grade at Newbury next time out. The third-placed Merchant, for William Haggas, has also franked the form, winning at York on his subsequent outing to earn a hike of eight pounds.

Watching Stars has been raised four, which I think is fair given the strength in depth of that race. He's going the right way and it feels like his turn is near.

Under the best jockey in the business in my humble opinion, I think he's sure to at least go very close over this stiff 1m1f, which should be right up his street.

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