Nap of the Day: Spade to step up at Wetherby on Wednesday

I don't think omitted hurdles helped, but I was disappointed by the performance of my selection Mahon Falls at Tramore on Tuesday. 

So, we'll try again to get off the mark for the week on Wednesday, as we go to Wetherby for the Nap of the Day.

I'm backing SPADESTEP to get off the mark over fences at the second time of asking at Wetherby on Wednesday.

Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore's six-year-old son of Jukebox Jury was a £50k point-to-point recruit back in October last year, and since then he's raced four times under rules.

He was just touched off by a couple of nice types, including the 127-rated Junker d'Allier, in novice hurdles at Carlisle and Perth in the spring, before bolting up by five lengths in a modest affair at Hexham 161 days later.

Connections opted against wasting any more time over hurdles for this big, strapping chaser in the making, pitching him into a Class 3 novices' handicap at Aintree just over three weeks later.

And the half-brother to Grade 2 winner Tommy's Oscar, rated 157 at his peak, looked a natural on Merseyside, finishing second in a small but select field of six.

He was only two-and-a-half lengths behind Anthony Honeyball's Jordans Cross, who I felt was going to win before falling at the last in a classy race at the November Meeting off six pounds higher. That's strong form.

There could be any amount of improvement to come from this lightly-raced gelding for a yard who've started to hit form, operating at a 21% strike rate in the past fortnight.

Off a mark of 116, two pounds higher from Aintree, he holds outstanding claims in this company.

Four-year-old Quantock Hills is the main danger according to the betting, but he was disappointing on chase debut a few weeks ago. I think he's a little overrated.

My Noble Lord, the other four-year-old in the field, has scope, but goes for an operation struggling for form and has to defy a 200+ day absence - as do Rock On Jet and Throatlash. I find the rest difficult to get excited about.

I'll be disappointed if Spadestep isn't able to do the business here.

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