NAP of the Day: Step into the light at Sandown on Friday

Nothing for Nap of the Day followers to shout about so far this week, but I'm hoping the lucky last at Sandown on Friday proves exactly that.

It's one for the boys in blue making his handicap debut that carries the weight of my expectation in Surrey.

I suspect INTO THE LIGHT is underestimated by his opening mark of 83 and also the market for Sandown's finale on Friday.

Charlie Appleby's three-year-old son of Dubawi made his racecourse debut in a 1m2f maiden at Lingfield in February, overcoming a slow start and greenness to win by a length.

The runner-up in Surrey was Al Azd for Roger Varian, who was just touched off in a handicap off a mark of 80 on his subsequent start. He then beat Appleby's 82-rated Sailor Song in ready fashion at Southwell.

Into The Light was in receipt of three pounds thanks to jockey Connor Planas' claim, but considering everything that went wrong for him in running, I'd say he ran close to his mark at the first time of asking.

His next assignment was over another couple of furlongs at Southwell last month, where he tried and failed to give seven pounds to Karl Burke's Ravenspire. In time, that might prove to have been a very difficult task indeed.

Burke's son of Sea The Stars is well-bred, well-connected and well thought of, described as a potential Betfred St Leger type in a stable tour with Sporting Life earlier this week. He's also entered in the Dante at York in a few weeks' time.

The selection gave him plenty to think about at Southwell, not quite seeing out the 1m4f trip - hence the step back on Friday - which exaggerated the margin of defeat.

What sort of mark did Into The Light run to on that occasion? Instead of using the winner, which involves a lot of guesswork, let's go by the third-placed Starship Trooper. Andrew Balding's son of Sea The Moon proved at Kempton on the first day of the month that his rating of 76 is accurate. We beat him by two-and-a-half lengths, conceding 7lbs, which as far as I'm concerned puts the figure in the mid-80s. At least.

Friday will be only his third-ever start, back over a more suitable distance and he'll have stable jockey William Buick doing the steering for the first time. There's a lot of room for improvement.

The Betfred Derby-entrant faces five rivals in Surrey, including Lost Boys and Magic Trip for David Menuisier and Andrew Balding respectively. They're the dangers in my book.

Lost Boys in particular. His form behind Betfred 2000 Guineas hopeful Bow Echo and the 109-rated Poseidon's Warrior as a two-year-old is very strong, so there's every chance he too is ahead of the handicapper. This is his first run in over 200 days, however, so he might need it. His trainer's also yet to win a race this season.

As for Magic Trip, I thought he ran a good race behind another Betfred Derby possible in Balzac for Jane Chapple-Hyam at Kempton just over three weeks ago, giving away five pounds. I'm not convinced it's as strong a piece a form as what's on offer in this field, though.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see either cross the line in front, but under the circumstances, including price, I'm very much in the camp of Into The Light.

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