Newton Abbot

This is the one to beat — top-rated in the field by 3lbs and the clear market favourite at around 2.4, backed up by a half-length second at Newbury last time out which is easily the most eye-catching recent run in the race. Six races without a win is a flag worth flying, but the trajectory is clearly upward: fourth, then third, then second. If the pattern holds, the winner's enclosure could finally be next.

Just one race on the books — a second place at Exeter — so the form book is nearly blank, but that runner-up finish at least shows this horse knows what it's doing. What gives Bold Step genuine interest is the trainer: Nicky Henderson is one of the most successful names in the sport, and his horses rarely turn up without a chance. Jockey James Bowen has won 6 of his last 15 races, which is strong form heading in.

Picked out by the editorial as the main danger to the favourite, which is worth noting given four races and still no win to show. The most recent run was a second place at Wetherby, which at least proves this horse can be competitive — but it has never raced on slightly soft ground, so today's conditions are an unknown. At seven years old, the window for a first win is beginning to narrow.

Two races, no wins, no top-three finishes — the form figures read fourth and eighth, with the eighth coming in a much tougher Class 2 contest. The big positive here is the team behind it: jockey Harry Skelton has won 5 of his last 12 races and trainer Dan Skelton 6 of their last 15, making this one of the sharpest operations in the game right now. The horse hasn't raced in 100 days or on slightly soft ground before, so there are questions, but the human talent around it is hard to ignore.