Never So Brave is to step up into Group One company for his next start in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes.
The gelded son of No Nay Never has thrived since making the switch to trainer Andrew Balding following the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute at the end of last season having won two of his three starts this term.
After tasting defeat on his stable debut at Chester, the Saeed Suhail-owned four-year-old atoned for that reversal with an impressive victory in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. And on Saturday he took his form to even greater heights when coming from well off the pace to win the Group Two Cornish Orchards Summer Mile Stakes back at the Berkshire track.
And although Never So Brave holds an entry in the HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood towards the end of the month, connections are keen to try him at Group One level back down at seven furlongs at York on August 23rd.
Balding said: “I was really pleased with Never So Brave in the Summer Mile. I thought it was an impressive performance given the way he made up ground as the leader got loose on the front end.
“I was thrilled with the effort and he has come out of that run well. We have decided to wait now for the City Of York. It is now a Group One worth lots of money and he doesn’t get a penalty in that. He has improved a lot this season and he is starting to look like a really smart horse. I think we can run in those good races over seven furlongs and a mile. We’ve not really looked at anything beyond York yet as that is the next plan.”
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