Steve Wolfe gallopers Watch Me Dance and Ex Sport Man looking to regain top form in Ascot feature races

Promising mare Watch Me Dance will attempt to return to her best form of last season for Albany trainer Steve Wolfe in this Saturday’s Group 2 $250,000 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot.

Wolfe will also have exciting three-year-old Ex Sport Man entered in the Listed $125,000 Fairetha Stakes (1400m) on the same program.

Both of the Wolfe gallopers will have a new jockey from their first-up runs with Shaun McGruddy suspended.

Peter Knuckey will jump aboard Watch Me Dance while Troy Turner will partner Ex Sport Man.

Watch Me Dance won the Group 3 $200,000 WA Champion Fillies Stakes and Group 2 $500,000 WA Guineas this time last season.

The I’m All The Talk mare finished at the rear of the field in her first up run in the Listed Black Heart Bart Stakes in September.

However she has finished second and third from three runs second up and should enjoy the step up to 1400m.

Watch Me Dance is nominated for the Group 1 $1million Railways Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 $1million Kingston Town Classic (1800m) for the upcoming Ascot summer carnival.

The earner of more than $850,000 in prize money and bonuses will carry 57kg from barrier four in the field of 12 runners.

Ex Sport Man will also be looking to return to his devastating best when racing second up.

A major boost will be regaining the services of Turner who has one win and a second from two attempts on the galloper.

Turner rode Ex Sport Man to victory in the Group 2 $500,000 Karrakatta Plate and then ran a narrow second in the Group 3 $200,000 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes earlier this year when McGruddy was injured.

Ex Sport Man ran 10th in the listed Belgravia Stakes last month but this field looks to be an easier assignment.

The Playing God gelding will be the topweight with 59kg and will jump from barrier eight in the field of 10.

Wolfe will also have three-year-old Knot Secret run in race two as he looks to break maiden status after two promising unplaced runs in his career to date.

Knuckey will partner Knot Secret from barrier eight in the field of 10 with 57kg.

Meanwhile Hoi An finished 12th in the listed $125,000 Burgess Queen Stakes (14000m) at Ascot on Melbourne Cup day for Roy Rogers.

Hoi An settled well back in the field and was unable to make up any ground in the straight, finishing eight lengths off the winner and only beating one runner home for Shaun O’Donnell.

Grand Design had her first start for Rogers on Tuesday and finished third in race five, while Can’t Get Enough also had her first start for Rogers and finished fifth.