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Hoof swerves Gold run

Image: Hoof It: Misses Ayr

The Mick Easterby trained Hoof It will not be asked to carry top weight in the Ayr Gold Cup.

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Ante-post favourite misses feature sprint

Hoof It will not be asked to carry the big burden of 10st 5lb in the Ayr Gold Cup on Saturday. The Mick Easterby-trained gelding, owned by golfer Lee Westwood and his manager Andrew "Chubby" Chandler, carried 10st to victory in the Stewards' Cup at Glorious Goodwood. However, his two subsequent races have been in Group One contests, the Nunthorpe Stakes and Betfred Sprint Cup, and that is where his future lies. The four-year-old was one of 34 horses withdrawn from the William Hill Gold Cup at the five-day confirmation stage. Other significant defectors towards the top of the handicap include 2009 winner Jimmy Styles, Doncaster Rover, Six Of Hearts, Tiddliwinks, Dafeef and New Planet. There are still 202 horses engaged in the race in which only 27 can run. Pepper Lane has now been promoted into market leadership as David O'Meara's filly bids to follow up her victory in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon. "Pepper Lane is fine and the plan is to run," said O'Meara. She was ridden by Danny Tudhope at Ripon last month while Silvestre de Sousa has also won on the four-year-old this season. No decision has yet been made as to who will be in the saddle on Saturday. "I don't know who rides her yet. I'll have to speak with the owners," O'Meara added. "It will either be Danny Tudhope or Silvestre de Sousa obviously." Kanaf is prominent in the betting but is only a possible runner after he finished sixth to Sirius Prospect over six and a half furlongs at Doncaster on Friday. "I don't think either the draw or the trip at Doncaster helped. There was a keenness to try from every aspect," said trainer Ed Dunlop. "He'd been slowly away in his last two races, so we thought we'd try him over slightly further but I felt he didn't stay the six and a half. "He's been left in the Ayr Gold Cup but that's only a possible rather than a definite."

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