Just a fortnight after the Dante Festival was wrapped up for another year, racing action would make a swift return to the Knavesmire with this standalone fixture. This card may not match the quality of the three day festival in mid-May, but there would be a healthy crowd filing through the doors for the first Saturday race meeting of the year. On track, the headline race took the form of a Group Three over the Ebor distance of fourteen furlongs for older fillies and mares while the card would be supported by some very competitive handicaps that took place over a range of distances.

Race One: The William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap - Class Four - Six Furlongs - Runners: 20

The opening contest would pick up where the Dante Festival left off, with a tricky class four handicap to solve; this time over six furlongs. Sprints of this nature can attract plenty of York regulars back to the Knavesmire and with the added incentive of healthy prize money on offer, there would be a large field lining up. Last year, the Jack Channon stable sent up Tiriac to win here, holding off Holkham Bay in a great finish and the form would be reversed later in the season at York.

Heading the weights in the afternoon's curtain raiser would be  the formerly Irish trained Arnhem. He has recently moved to the North East with the Rebecca Menzies stable and posted a better effort last time over five furlongs at Musselburgh. Lucky Man is another to have done well at this course in the past with a few runner's up finishes in strong handicaps and then winning over course and distance in 2022. He would make his first appearance since January, but would also be an interesting transfer to the Jennie Candlish stable. The lightly raced Bona Fortuna won twice back to back last summer after joining the Mick Appleby stable, but disappointed over a furlong longer when last seen in August. He still remained totally unexposed and open to improvement.  The sole runner for the Richard Fahey team would be Rock Opera, who hasn't won for almost a year but produced one of his best runs of the season here in a class two contest over course and distance. A repeat of that would see him clear of his rivals in the formbook. Another former York winner in the lineup would be Wen Moon, who is also a regular on the Knavesmire. The five year old is more of a recognised five furlong sprinter, so would make a rare start over this trip. Declan Carroll's Thankuappreciate ended 2024 on a high with two wins from his final three starts, but they all came at the minimum trip. He is another who is yet to convince thoroughly that he stays six furlongs. The veteran Equiano Springs retains his quirkiness and love of the game as he began his ninth season on track. Tom Tate's eleven year old tends to improve for his first outing of the year, judging by recent seasons. Another long absent runner would be Bryan Smart's Beale Street, who switched from the all-weather to turf. The four year old has won three times at Newcastle but has yet to finish higher than third on grass. This would be his first run since March. Beyond Borders developed into a talented sort during the course of twelve months by running to a good level for Karl Burke. Since joining the Kevin Frost yard, he has taken time to adapt and has been below his best in both starts this year. Another multiple winner on the all-weather is True Promise for trainer Kevin Ryan. Those wins would make him a big contender here, but his form has an inconsistent look to it now which suggests the handicapper has the gelding's number. Julie Camacho's Baba Reza is very lightly raced for his age, but remains talented when on track. The chestnut won after a long absence at Haydock last year and did something similar this year when close up third at Carlisle at the start of the month. The grey Wreck It Ryley has won in this grade before, but Alan Brown's gelding dropped into class five company to win for the fourth time at Thirsk a month ago. The visor has unlocked a little more improvement and he has run well in both starts since that win. The four year old Byzantine Empress landed her only win to date at Haydock last summer, but that came over seven furlongs. Now trained by Jedd O'Keeffe, she finished third over this trip on first run of the year and dropped back in distance once again. The Julie Camacho stable and Ursa Major Racing would combine with a runner in this contest, May Blossom. The mare landed a valuable race last summer and her rating has also dropped to the same as her last win. Dickieburd is another useful type who hasn't won for a while, but produced some excellent runs in defeat last season. Ivan Furtado's five year old would be a deserving winner here. The speedy Ingleby Archie should provide a good early pace in the race, but has often found the extra yardage too much over six furlongs. The Adrian Nicholls-trained four year old has won three times over five furlongs during his career. Another from the Ivan Furtado yard would be the returning Alfa Whiteburd, who made his first official start for Furtado. The four year old would show a liking for the all-weather with four wins on the surface in the latter months of last year. Liam Bailey's Protest Rally arrives at York in good form with two wins from his last four starts, albeit over five furlongs. He had previously shown potential to stay the extra furlong with a second at Catterick over this trip back on his seasonal return. The Newmarket raider Ray Vonn represented the Ben Brookhouse stable and made a great start to 2024 with a brace of victories, the second of which came over course and distance eleven months ago. He would be well beaten on his return on the all-weather, but is clearly better than that display. A second runner for Middleham trainer Liam Bailey would be Hectic, who signed off for previous connections with a win at Southwell, but he is better suited to big fields with a strong pace to aim at. The very popular Musicka won for the eighteenth time on his latest start and David O'Meara's eleven year old would be making an amazing one hundred and thirtieth start. Another veteran would join him in the lineup, Danzan from the Tim Easterby yard. The ten year old is slowly approaching the 100th start mark, but he remained in good form last season with placings in some tough handicaps.

Winner: INGLEBY ARCHIE (#16) (James Garfield x Musicora) - H. Shaw - A. Nicholls.

The opening event would see the field reduced by two runners before the off as Protest Rally and Ray Vonn were found to be not 100% before travelling.

Despite a wealth of race experience throughout all the runners, there would still be a few nervy moments before the off as Beyond Borders reared up twice in his gate. Thankfully he would settle enough just in time and kept his place in the race. The flag would drop and stalls crashed open to signify the start of the afternoon's action with a level break. From the outset, the speedy Ingleby Archie took up his expected position at the front of the field as Lucky Man, Alfa Whiteburd, Bella Fortuna and Dickieburd all chasing the leader in different parts of the track. The early pace would be a fairy quick one and it was one that caught out the veteran Equiano Springs, who struggled to keep up with the pack at the halfway stage. The race would quickly reach the boiling point of a furlong out and Ingleby Archie had kicked into a handy advantage. Despite a clear lead, the final furlong was expected to be a burden for the leader, but he bravely found extra in reserve as the challengers came fast and hard. Alfa Whiteburd emerged as the chief threat and closed Ingleby Archie down, but it would be to no avail. It would be a win for Ingleby Archie with Alfa Whiteburd posting a good comeback in second, ahead of the staying on Rock Opera and Hectic, who had weaved through their rivals.

It would be a local winner to start proceedings at York with the Adrian Nicholls-trained gelding causing a small surprise at odds of 14-1. Despite his perceived chances in the betting, the four year old Ingleby Archie has a solid record to date as he landed his fourth career win. With just a few flirts with six furlongs earlier in his career, the son of James Garfield has been campaigned mostly over five furlongs and gained his first win at Redcar in June 2024. He then followed up on his next start in handicap company at Thirsk and looked to be heading the right way. He would begin 2025 with a somewhat unlucky second at Thirsk over six furlongs, where he was carried to the right by the winner inside the final furlong. He would gain compensation on his latest start at Beverley where he kicked clear in the final furlong and just held on for the win. The gelding clearly has one way of running, but this win over six furlongs has been a personal best and it can also open up new options for connections later in the season. 

Race Two: The Irish Thoroughbred Marketing EBF Novice Stakes - 2-Y-O Only - Class Three - Six Furlongs - Runners: 11

Next up would come a pretty informative juvenile novice race in which the race distance remained over six furlongs. With Royal Ascot fast approaching on the horizon, this could be a final chance for a leading stable to introduce a candidate for the Royal meeting. In 2022, Archie Watson would introduce Bradsell to the racing world as he blitzed his rivals by nine lengths to begin a brilliant career which saw two Royal Ascot wins and multiple Group One wins. Last year's renewal was a particularly strong race as Karl Burke's Arabie broke his maiden tag at the second attempt before winning at Group Three and Group Two level in France later in the season. The third placed Simmering would go on to win a Group Three two starts later and more recently, finish third in this year's 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

With no previous winners in the lineup, the one to cross the line in front will be break their maiden tag. Richard Fahey landed this race with a newcomer in 2023 and would hope to do the same this year with Advance Twentyfive. The son of Victor Ludorum comes from a good Juddmonte family and his stable are often respected in these contests. Another leading stable with a runner in the race would be Roger Varian with the debutante Anashhad. The son of Mohaather has plenty of class in his distant family and would be another expected to run well on debut here. William Haggas would introduce Art Lover, an offspring of Hello Youmzain who is related to plenty of winners in France and would seemingly have a good reputation at home. The Malton based yard of Nigel Tinkler would be represented by the more modestly-bred Auspicious, who has already been gelded ahead of his debut. He is a half brother to a pair of horses who have achieved little so far however. The WIlliam Knight stable aren't renowned for winning newcomers, but would send up Beach Partee up from Newmarket. The colt is a distant relative to the high class Kodi Bear so would make some appeal. Charlie Johnston is usually well represented in these races and he would choose Champion Island to run here. The chestnut colt showed signs of inexperience on debut over five furlongs and stepped up in trip here. Do Or Do Not lined up in the same race at Newbury, but Ed Walker's colt never featured so would need to improve a lot to be a contender here. The training partnership of Jamie Insole and Richard Newland have sent out a few winning newcomers already this year and would look to continue the trend with Lieutenant Kije. The colt is a half brother to a pattern level winner so has ability in his immediate family. A second debutante for Richard Fahey would come in the form of Mister Freeman. The colt is bred to make a useful juvenile, so should be precocious enough to make an impact here. Karl Burke is another highly respected stable in the juvenile division and he would call upon the colt Strength of Spirit in this contest. The son of Ulysses showed plenty of early speed on his recent debut at Ayr but weakened into fifth that day. Archie Watson would attempt to win this race again with Tadej, who has run well on his first two starts so far. After a highly promising fourth in a good race at Ascot, he then lined up over course and distance where he still showed signs of greenness before finishing fifth. He has a win in his locker in time. The only filly in the race would be Alfa Patisserie from the Ivan Furtado stable. She would be a half sister to a listed race winning juvenile, but this looks a good race to debut in. 

Winner: TADEJ (#7) (Ardad x Tilly Frankl) - H. Doyle - A. Watson

The sole non-runner in this contest would be the once raced Strength of Spirit from the Karl Burke stable. but this remained a very informative race. 

With many newcomers in the race, there was the potential for incident at the stalls, but luckily all the colts and fillies behaved impeccably and went into their stall with little persuasion.  As the gates opened, a couple of the newcomers would blow their chance at the start. The well fancied Art Lover showed inexperience and was sluggish to get going, losing many lengths to the disappearing pack. Only Auspicious would race ahead of Art Lover, but he too was a beat too slow at the start as the keen going Tadej held a narrow lead up front. He would go eyeball to eyeball with Champion Island in the opening stages of the race as Do Or Do Not was also in a prominent position. Advance Twentyfive didn't get away cleanly either, but he would be another to force the early pace. As the race entered the final furlong, Island Champion had been burned off by his two other challengers for the lead and it soon became a two horse race. Tadej had taken over in front with a narrow lead, but Do Or Not Do was refusing to give in without a fight and wrestled the lead back. In a game of back and forth, Tadej would stick his neck out just in time as the line came up quickly. The verdict would go to short priced favourite Tadej as Do Or Not Do would be an unlucky loser in second. The pair pulled a fair way clear of the third placed Anashhad, who did best of the newcomers, catching the eye in third and demoted Champion Island to fourth.

After two promising runs in stronger contests than this one, it was largely expected pre-race that this would be Tadej's time. The son of Ardad finished a very good fourth at Ascot on debut in the trial for the Coventry Stakes. He would finish on the tail of the winner that day, the Godolphin-owned £1,000,000 purchase Wise Approach. Next up, he would run at York in a good looking class two novice at the Dante Festival. Despite looking wayward by hanging to his left, Tadej still kept finding extra and wasn't beaten far in fifth by some talented prospects. It would be a case of third time lucky and the future looks bright for Archie Watson's latest winner in this event. The influence of speed in his pedigree from sire Ardad is complimented by plenty of stamina on the dam's side. Tadej is a distant relative to very classy stayers Soulcombe, who easily won the Melrose Stakes over a mile and six furlongs, as well as Solomon, who won over twice furlongs. The colt may not be Royal Ascot class just yet, but he does have an exciting future ahead, wherever he goes.

Race Three: The William Hill More Top Prices Handicap - Class Two - Five Furlongs - Runners: 13

The theme of speed and quality would continue with this valuable handicap over the minimum trip of five furlongs. Just like in the opening sprint, York regulars would return to the venue once again with the same aim of landing first prize. Last year, Ralph Beckett's Starlust dropped down in class to successfully defy top weight with an authoritative success. His career would then take off by finishing third in the Group One Nunthorpe and latterly win the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint to cement his status as a high class sprinter.

This cracking contest would see the very useful JM Jungle carry top weight. John and Sean Quinn's five year old  landed a class two race at last summer's Ebor Festival and has remained in good form this year, finishing second twice to a Group class performer in the shape of American Affair. Kevin Ryan is a dab hand with sprinters and his Venture Capital would line up here. The gelding was progressive last year and shrugged off a poor comeback run at Pontefract to win next time at Ripon in the style to suggest there is more to come. The three year old Zayer would take on his elders in this contest, but showed plenty of natural pace during his first season last year. There would be little wrong with his reappearance at Sandown where he finished fourth. The talented mare Miss Attitude looked set for a good season this year, but she has been unlucky in her last two starts and the form figures don't reflect her ability. The improving Duran won twice at York last summer for the Nigel Tinkler stable and lined up here aiming for his biggest win yet. The four year old got up close home to win at Haydock last time out. The old veteran Bergerac produced a great run at the Dante Festival last time out to suggest he is still capable of mixing it at this level. This would be a slightly easier task for Kevin Ryan's seven year old. Another three year old in this competitive contest would be Loom from the Richard Fahey stable. The gelding showed a liking for this trip by finishing second in a big field two week ago, finishing best of the rest. Tom Clover's mare Jumbeau has run well at York in the past and would be looking for another good performance on the Knavesmire. She would keep on into third at Epsom to set her up for this race. The Mark Walford-trained It Just Takes Time has won at almost all the Yorkshire tracks and remains competitive at this level .The Newmarket yard of Terry Kent would send up the talented mare Habooba for this race. The five year old has been sighted on the all-weather for the majority of her career, but is a four time winner, mostly over six furlongs. Bond Chairman has plenty of talent in his locker, but the six year old has been unable to show it due to setbacks in recent years. His last win came in 2023 but he has some excellent near-misses in his catalogue as he made his first start for Geoff Oldroyd. A runner for the Mark Walford stable would Kodiac Thriller. The four year old has found form again since moving up north to his new stable and won impressively at Thirsk last time out to warrant a rise in class to this level. Scott Dixon's Fine Wine has seen plenty of racing and gone up and down the race class ladder, but ran as well as expected in a similar race here two weeks ago. Tim Easterby often has plenty of runners in races of this nature and he would saddle Spirit of Applause here. The five year old doesn't have the best record at York, but has previously finished third in a class two race at Newmarket in the past.

Winner: HABOOBA (#10) (Nyquist x Westside Tapstress) - R. Dawson - T. Kent

The feature handicap of the afternoon would get away to a level break and from the outset, there was no hanging around with many natural front runners in the field. From the stands' side of the track, Habooba got away to a flying start and took up the early running alongside Bergerac a few lanes to the leader's left. They would be shadowed by Kodiac Thriller and the keen going JM Jungle as the three year old Zayer struggled to go the pace in the early stages. Habooba and Bergerac would take each other on down the length of the Knavesmire straight and it would soon become clear that they would have the race between them. Loom, It Just Takes Time and Venture Capital would race a few places behind the leading quartet as Miss Attitude, Spirit of Applause and Zayer raced further back, waiting for crumbs.

Entering the final furlong, Habooba had burned off her rivals one by one and found herself with a comfortable lead inside the final hundred yards. Bergerac attempted to give chase, but his older legs had cried enough this time and he had to settle for fourth. JM Jungle posted another respectable effort at York by finishing third as Kodiac Thriller held on for fourth. In a testament to the early pace set by Habooba led to the first four finishers racing in those positions throughout the race. 

For the winner, the four year old Habooba has a curious pedigree for the job and has been on a winding road to get here. The filly is a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, who never ran on turf but was a top class horse. Habooba began her career out in Dubai, where she ran between six furlongs and nine furlongs at Meydan before a switch to the UK with Newmarket-based trainer Terry Kent. Connections then found the key to unlocking her progress by dropping her to sprint trips where she won her first two races back to back at Kempton and Wolverhampton last summer. After finishing an excellent third in the London Sprint Final at Kempton in September, it would set the filly up for some valuable tilts such as this one. She arrived here on the back of another win at Kempton where she blazed a trail over six furlongs and held on for her latest win. She is now at the top of her game and despite going the long way, Habooba is on the right track for a big race success in the coming future. 

Race Four: The William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies' Stakes - Group Three - One Mile, Six Furlongs - Runners: 7

The sole pattern race of the day would see a field of very talented fillies and mares line up for the Bronte Cup, a relatively new event to York's calendar with the first running taking place in 2018. Twelve months ago, the history making Rachael Blackmore made her riding debut at York in this race aboard Term Of Endearment and the legendary jockey galvanised her mount to victory over the very smart Night Sparkle and the defending champion River of Stars in a brilliant finish.

Last year's heroine Term Of Endearment would return to defend her crown in this race, this time for the William Haggas stable. The five year old would be without the assistance of Rachael Blackmore, but the mare followed up her win here with a Group Two success at Goodwood. She has since found Group One company a step too far and would be looking to bounce back. Ralph Beckett would enjoy big race success at the Dante Festival and returned for more with Allonsy. She would be rapidly progressive last season by winning four handicaps in a row and rounding out the season with a listed race second. She would be slightly disappointing on her seasonal return however. One of the potential improvers in the line up could be Crystal Flyer from the Tom Ward stable. She would finish second on her only try at this trip and was strong at the finish to win over twelve furlongs on her comeback at Kempton. The mare Divina Grace made a successful switch from the Rae Guest stable to Andrew Balding's by winning the John Porter Stakes in April, but was unable to back it up in the Jockey Club Stakes at the start of May. The first of two runners for the John and Thady Gosden stable would be Jane Temple, who carried the Oppenheimer silks. The four year old would make her turf debut in this competitive race having won her last two starts at Southwell and Kempton. Ed Walker's Scenic bolted up in a listed race over twelve furlongs at the Ebor Festival last summer and has placed over this trip in the past. She made an encouraging return when second at Goodwood last time out. Completing the Gosden pair would be another unexposed filly, Sueno. The daughter of Camelot is bred to stay well and got off the mark at the second attempt last winter. She would then run well in fourth Goodwood earlier in the month where she lost momentum at a crucial stage.

Winner: SCENIC (#5) (Lope de Vega x Ghalyah) - S. Osborne - E. Walker

The alarm bells would begin to ring for favourite backers even before the horses had left the paddock as Term of Endearment began to get worked up in the parade ring, prompting an early canter to post with Tom Marquand a few minutes before her rivals. Thankfully she would calm down enough by the time the remainder of the field joined her at the starting stalls for the race to begin.

Once the gates opened, Term Of Endearment would make the best getaway of all, having seemingly gotten over her pre-race nerves. She would go forward into the outright lead early on and was joined by Allonsy and Jane Temple down the back stretch. Next up would come Divina Grace, who in turn was followed by Sueno, Crystal Flyer and Scenic bringing up the rear as the pace was no better than an ordinary. Term of Endearment was given an easy time of it in the lead under Tom Marquand as her rivals were content to sit and follow the leader. At the halfway stage passing the trees, Marquand would steady the pace even further; giving a moment of respite for Term of Endearment. It allowed the pack to bunch up on the home bend and set up a sprint finish. The group would move off the far side rail once they opened up into the home straight, but Scenic and Sueno ran slightly apart from the others. Term Of Endearment picked up well under pressure and began to pull slightly ahead approaching the final furlong marker, but Scenic had travelled smoothly to this point and was last to challenge. Under a strong drive from Saffie Osborne, Scenic moved up to Term of Endearment and the two went head to head in the final stages. Just as it looked like Scenic would win the race comfortably, Term Of Endearment refused to give her crown up easily and made a late rally to join her rival on the line. A brief pause was needed before the judge determined that Scenic's head was narrowly in front at the line and she would be the victor. There was a long gap to third, Sueno, who finished best of the rest ahead of Allonsy rounding out the top four.

It would be a third career success for the Ed Walker-trained Scenic and her highest profile win so far. The daughter of Lope de Vega had previously failed to win in nine starts, but once she broke her maiden tag, she found the confidence to improve further. Her best effort prior to this event came in the Galtres Stakes over a mile and a half at this venue during the Ebor Festival last year. On that day, she travelled strongly as usual and galloped away for a wide margin success. This year, the four year old returned at Goodwood in the Daisy Warwick Stakes, where she made good headway from last to finish second. That set her up for this contest nicely and the steady pace also played to her strengths. Having finished a close third over just shy of two miles last year, there are plenty of different options for the filly who showed that she is very capable when everything goes to plan.

Race Five: The Reg Bond "Always And Forever" Handicap - Class Three - Seven Furlongs - Runners: 22

The focus would switch back to the handicaps with the first of triple header of difficult-to-solve events. This class three handicap over seven furlongs would be limited to three-year-olds and bore resemblance to the one that took place at the Dante Festival two weeks ago. Last year, Burdett would cruise through the large field and win comfortably in this contest, completing a double for the Jack Channon stable. 

Top weight would be carried by White Crown Star, who switched from the Sir Michael Stoute yard to Andrew Balding's stable and got off the mark at the fourth attempt earlier this year. He has since found one or two too good in handicap company but this could be a little easier. It has been hard to fault the consistency of Jennie Candlish's Frankies Dream, who has finished in the top five in all starts this year. His record would continue in a handicap over course and distance at the Dante Festival last time out. Terry Kent's Prosperitas race mostly at six furlongs last season, but his two runs at this trip have been encouraging. A staying-on fifth last time suggested he is ready to strike again. The John Butler-trained Kameel looked smart over the winter by winning twice on the all-weather, but his form has dipped recently. He would be well beaten at Ascot on his first turf start. Mick Appleby would saddle Coul Angel in this contest and the gelding has progressed well during a short period. After winning twice on the all-weather, the colt posted a good effort when fourth at Ascot a few weeks ago. The William Haggas-trained Cairdeas got off the mark at the third attempt by a narrow margin, but then struggled in better company afterwards. This year however, the gelding has shown potential to win more races with some close up finishes in and around the frame. His former stablemate Art Design moved north to the Julie Camacho stable towards the end of last year and produced an excellent debut for the yard when second at Doncaster by a narrow margin. He should improve this year for his in form trainer. Sweet Fantastic followed the trend of a few others in the race by switching from the all-weather to turf. Hugo Palmer's colt was caught in the closing stages when third at Chester last time out, beaten less than a length on that day. Another runner for the Julie Camacho yard would be Veydari, who was making his first start for the stable. The gelding would win just once for Richard Fahey last year, but has yet to convince he stays this trip. The flashy chestnut Last Shamardal lined up for the last year's winning trainer Jack Channon and is another with a lightly raced and progressive profile. The gelding weakened into a well held third at this trip behind Frankies Dream at Beverley a month ago. The Adrian Keatley yard would be represented by Bear Kode, who looked promising to start with, but found life difficult during the rest of the season. He would make a pleasing comeback last time when a close up fourth at Haydock last week. Gemma Tutty's Singoura has a nice pedigree and has been useful so far. The filly made her seasonal reappearance at Doncaster last month, but found the in form Frankies Dream too strong on that occasion. The Karl Burke-trained Party Bear landed two wins at  a lower level on the all-weather earlier in the year and returned to the turf for the first time since his juvenile season in which he finished third on grass. Richard Hannon suffered a narrow defeat in the equivalent race at the Dante Festival two weeks ago and would look to make amends with Miss Collada. The filly won over five and seven furlongs during a busy first season and has since finished in the midfield in all starts this year. Jamaican Storm has achieved a decent level of form despite not winning yet for Bryan Smart, but has finished in the placings in three of his four starts so far, all on the all-weather. The lightly raced Four Fifty lined up for the Malton based Craig Lidster yard and the gelding made a winning debut at Newcastle before a solid third on his only turf start. He ran well in a decent race back at Newcastle recently and was open to more improvement. Middleham Park Racing's Diamont Katie only made her debut in January, but has quickly developed into a smart sprinter. The Karl Burke-trained filly blew the start last time at Goodwood, the first blot on her progressive profile. Eve Johnson Houghton would be represented by Kamekist here and the gelding has been generally improving all the time, despite an unlucky run at Windsor two starts ago. The gelded Georgecandoit would line up for the Jedd O'Keeffe stable and has placed in all but two starts to date. He would deserve a potential first win following plenty of placings already. Ralph Beckett would saddle Honved in this contest and the gelding showed a lot of promise on debut when second, but was well beaten in fourth last time out at Doncaster. Ed Walker's Hunky Dory produced his best run on his final start of last season when third, but was a bit below form on his seasonal comeback at Newmarket in a similar race. Jachin would line up for the locally based Ivan Furtado stable and won for the first time at the back end of last year, but has struggled in handicap company since then. He would need to improve further to feature here. Richard Fahey's Tuscan Point has spent most of her racing career at York, but with little success. She would make her reappearance over five furlongs at the Dante Festival and took the big step up in distance here. Harswell Ruby has improved nicely since switching to handicaps for Roger Fell and landed a first career win at Doncaster in April. That win came over a mile, so her stamina is already assured. 

Winner: FRANKIES DREAM (#2) (Belardo x Opal Heart) - H. Crouch - J. Candlish

A full quota of twenty-two three year olds going to post would provide a near impossible task for punters to find the winner, but it paid homage to the competitive nature of handicaps at York. 

The bumper field would get away to an even break and the surge for a prominent early position before the bend would commence. Singoura would be one of those to nose into a narrow lead under Warren Fentiman, but they were soon joined by the keen going Sweet Fantastic and Jason Hart. Just behind the leading pair came the likes of White Crown Star, Last Shamardal and Veydari out wide. The pack would swing around the dog leg bend at the five furlong pole and began to fan out with the grandstands in side. Sweet Fantastic would still hold the advantage, but White Crown Star had made his moved early and led at the two furlong pole. Singoura dropped away very quickly and it was left to Sweet Fantastic and White Crown Star to do battle inside the closing stages. Sweet Fantastic began to win the argument between the two, but from further back, Frankies Dream came out of the pack with a weaving run. The hooded gelding was finally clear of traffic and surged towards Sweet Fantastic with the line in sight. A final stretch of his neck saw Frankies Dream join Sweet Fantastic and force a photo finish. Following a brief wait, the result was announced in favour of Frankies Dream, who continued his amazing season so far. Back in third, White Crown Star ran respectably while Miss Collada was always well positioned to take fourth. 

2025 has been the year of Frankies Dream so far and Jennie Candlish's gelding continues his superb run of form. On the 4th of January at Wolverhampton in he deepest, darkest winter, the son of Belardo was rated just 50 on official ratings, but here today for this class four event he was rated 80 - an improvement of 30lbs in six months. With a total of six wins since this year, his consistency always deserves credit. Despite a busy time on track, Frankies Dream has yet to finish outside of the first five this year, a record which was extended with his fifth place in an identical race at the Dante Festival a few weeks ago. With such a likeable attitude and bravery, it will be hard to guess where this streak will come to an end, if ever. A credit to all of those involved with the horse too.

Race Six: The Royal Yorkshire Regiment Handicap - Class Three - One Mile, Two Furlongs - Runners: 9
Next up came a three-year-olds restricted handicap, this time over the longer distance of ten furlongs. Races of this nature can so often produce progressive stayers who are capable of holding their own at a higher level, with their sights set on potential trips to summer festivals at Ascot, Newmarket or Goodwood. The 2024 renewal saw a small and select field, but the race would be one sided as Jane Chapple-Hyam's Primo Lara backed up a recent win by taking this race in very easy style.

Top weight would be carried by Crack On Boys, who lined up for the Tom Clover stable. He won very easily at Newcastle two starts ago before chasing home a very smart prospect at Chelmsford and looked interesting on his turf debut. The exciting Munsif wore the "Group Horse In A Handicap" tag for trainer Roger Varian as he put his unbeaten record on the line. The beautifully bred colt has won both starts so far with some ease and looks set for bigger things. Another Newmarket yard to be represented would be George Boughey with Dante's Lad. The one time winner has run well over a mile, but is related to quite a few classy stayers. The famous Mill Reef silks were on display in this contest, courtesy of Andrew Balding's Urban Glimpse. The colt won in good style last season before attempting Group company without success. He is bred to stay even further than this trip so was open to more improvement. Far Ahead is another runner from a brilliant family and showed promise in two starts last season, but got off the mark in good style at Catterick on his first start of this year. Richard Fahey's colt is bred to be much better than this level so would be a strong contender. Carrying the Juddmonte silks here would be Ralph Beckett's Cape Breton, a son of Frankel who is bred to improve with stamina and ran well at Ascot recently when second over this distance. Asmen Warrior remains winless so far for the Richard Newland and Jamie Insole stable, but he has bumped into some talented winners along the way. He would run well in the ultra-competitive London Gold Cup at Newbury last time out. The Grant Tuer-trained Chesneys Charm enjoyed a profitable season last year with three wins, but has been inconsistent this year over a range of distances. He ran well however on his previous visit to York in October. The field would be completed by Ed Bethell's Looks Fantastic. The gelding is well bred with stamina in his family, but is yet to win. Despite this, he has improved with each start so far

Winner: DANTE'S LAD (#3) (Wootton Bassett x Bewitched) - T. Marquand - G. Boughey

The advertised field of nine arrived at post and there would be plenty of notebooks around open pages, ready to make notes for the future of these runners. The strongly fancied Munsif would make the best start of all under Ryan Moore and was quickly sent into an early lead. His lead would only be a narrow one however as Hollie Doyle's Asmen Warrior and Neil Callan's Crack On Boys kept close tabs on the leader rounding the first bend. Further back, the group would be tightly packed and the Juddmonte silks of Cape Breton would race further back, alongside Urban Glimpse and Dante's Lad. Bringing up the rear would be Far Ahead, who raced wide throughout the contest.

The gallop set by Munsif would be a relatively steady one and the leader raced a shade keenly, giving warning signs to punters. He would bring the pack into the home straight and once again the action would unfold down the centre of the track. Munsif would bravely attempt to fend off his rivals, but Asmen Warrior had moved well up until this point and made his challenge for glory.  From further back, Dante's Lad and Urban Glimpse crept into the race and would loom large on the inside. Suddenly the race had been whittled down to four contenders, but Dante's Lad appeared to be travelling best of all. As Munsif surrendered the lead to Urban Glimpse, he wasn't easily disposed with and remained right there in the firing line. The group of four would produce a thrilling finish in a head bobbing final fifty yards, but crossing the line it would be Dante's Lad who wanted the win most and got his nose in front where it mattered, pulling half a length clear of Urban Glimpse. There would be inches separating Urban Glimpse, Munsif and Asmen Warrior, which gave credit to the quality of the race.

This was always going to be an interesting race with plenty of unexposed three year olds who have the potential to improve over longer distances. It would be a notable first winner at York for trainer George Boughey, a somewhat surprising stat given the ability of the young handler. Dante's Lad is bred to be suited by even further and is a product of the Coolmore operation. The son of Wootton Bassett is out of the talented mare Bewitched, who won lower end Group races over six furlongs during her career. Dante's Lad's half brother Roberto Escobarr and Pablo Escobarr both won pattern races at up to fourteen furlongs, so the option of stepping the winner further up in distance is entirely feasible. Having begun his career in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien, he was first noted on his debut when he finished third behind this year's Derby favourite Delacroix. After switching to Newmarket in October, he would land his first victory at Kempton over a mile, where he saw out the finish very strongly. This year, the gelding has faced some tricky handicaps over a mile at Newmarket and Newbury respectively, but clearly his connections have been waiting patiently with this race in mind. A potential trip to Royal Ascot for one of the ultra-competitive three year olds handicaps over ten or twelve furlongs should be right up his street. A potentially very good stayer in the making.

Race Seven: The William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap - Class Four - Seven Furlongs - Runners: 21

The finale for the first Saturday meeting of the year at York would be another very tricky handicap which was open to older horses this time and back over the intermediate distance of seven furlongs. Races at York over this distance can see old rivalries renewed in battle and the potential for a different outcome each time. Twelve months ago, Michael Herrington's Feel The Need weaved his way through the pack to land the spoils and confirm his liking for the track.

A maximum sized field of twenty-two runners would go to post for this closing race and the weights were headed by the once high class sprinter Mums Tipple. He rolled back the years with an excellent third over course and distance a fortnight ago and could go a couple of places better with a more patient ride here. Al Muqdad was another to compete in the seven furlong handicap at the Dante Festival recently but was stuck behind a wall of horses that day. He would be looking for better luck here. The Richard Fahey-trained Ziggy's Condor has placed in all three visits to York and has been generally consistent at this level so the four year old would be a part of many people's shortlists. The grey Flying Fletcher has a better record on the all-weather and Richard Fahey's five year old struggled in a similar contest here recently.  The John and Sean Quinn-trained Tropez Power has won more races on the all-weather, but is finding his feet on turf nowadays. The six year old has run well here in the past and stayed on well into second at Redcar over a mile last time out. Daring Legend won twice last year for the Mick Appleby stable and the gelding has shaped as if he is ready to add another victory to his tally. He was denied by the smallest of margins at Yarmouth on his latest start. Nick Bradley Racing have found another bargan buy with Delicacy, who is looking for a hat trick of wins for James Owen. The filly recorded her second win in the space of a week in the seven furlong handicap at the Dante Festival and was aiming to round off a great month of May on a high. David O'Meara's Riot is yet another previous course and distance winner in the lineup, so these races are his norm. The seven year old suffered with traffic issues here last time out and is better than the form suggests. The grey Arctic Dawn lined up for the Daniel and Claire Kubler stable and is very well bred. The four year old has gone close to winning on a few occasions and wasn't disgraced over a mile last time on the all-weather. Quest For Fun finished ahead of a fair amount of his reopposing rivals when fourth over course and distance last time out and he too has a good record in races of this nature for Tim Easterby. The Geoff Harker-trained Mudamer hasn't won for almost two years, but has shown potential in stages; such as a third at Ripon over a mile earlier in the year. Bowood joined the Ivan Furtado stable midway through 2024 and immediately made an impact by winning his first three races for the trainer. He has been a regular starter over a mile, but dropped back in trip for a rare start at seven furlongs. Another lightly raced sort from the Daniel and Claire Kubler yard would be Crimson Spirit. The filly ran well here last year before finding the ground too soft at Epsom on her final two starts and was another open to improvement this year. Last year's winner Feel The Need returned to York on the back of a string of mixed efforts over the winter. He would finish tailed off here last time out, but that was his first turf start in six months. Harry Did began to develop into a decent sort at this level last year for Harry Eustace, but the majority of his form has come over six furlongs. His stamina for this trip has yet to be concluded so far. Richard Fahey's Craven gamely landed a similar race over course and distance back in July, but has been out of form ever since. The quirky sort could take inspiration from returning to this venue. Winners here for the Mick and David Easterby are always popular ones, so there would be local support for Yaajooz. The four year old has shown improvement since joining this yard and would drop down in trip by a furlong after two placings over a mile recently. The Green Man hasn't had much racing since completing a double of wins during the summer of 2023, the second of those coming at York at this level over six furlongs. Danny Brooke's six year old ran well on his first start over seven furlongs for a long time when fourth at Redcar. The other side of the Easterby family would be represented as Mysteryofthesands lined up for Tim Easterby. The four year old has been consistent through his career and made a quick return to action following his win at Beverley a week ago. Lir Speciale showed plenty of promise earlier in his career, but began to struggle in better handicaps. He has now joined the Brian Ellison stable in Malton and has shown flashes of race winning potential since the move. Former course winner Tele Red lined up for the Karl Burke stable, but has amazingly never started over a distance this short in his career. The lightly weighted runner has shaped well in recent races. The final runner in the lineup would be a third from the Richard Fahey stable, Beattie Is Back. The six year old has done all of his winning on the all-weather, but produced a better effort when fourth at Ayr last time. 

Winner:  MUM'S TIPPLE (#1) (Footstepsinthesand x Colomone Cross) - T. Marquand - R. Hannon

For the closing contest, there would be just the one absentee as Harry Eustace's Harry Did stayed in Newmarket on account of the ground being too quick. 

The afternoon had seemingly flown by and it was already time for the meeting to wind down with the closing event. The finale would be a fiendishly difficult contest to work out with so many variables on the table. The field of vastly experienced handicappers would get away to an even break and from the outset, Mums Tipple strode into the lead under Tom Marquand, crossing over from his wide draw and finding himself at the front of the peloton. Mysteryofthesands, Tropez Power and Daring Legend would race in the passenger's seat as the twenty-one strong field thundered towards the home straight. The big white face of Mums Tipple remained in front halfway down the home straight and despite racing keenly, he travelled very nicely on the quick ground. As the field spread out across the track in a bid to find daylight, Lir Speciale would opt to race solo on the stands side rail and briefly looked as if he was challenging for the lead approaching the final furlong pole. Tom Marquand held the handbrake on for as long as he dared on Mums Tipple before unleashing his horse for a final burst inside the final furlong. His mount would respond impressively and quickly put the race to bed, opening up a comfortable advantage. From out of the pack, Daring Legend attempted to bridge the gap, but he would be chasing thin air as the eight year old Mums Tipple ran out a very popular winner. Daring Legend would take home a clear second as the Kubler pair of Crimson Spirit and Arctic Dawn emerged on the scene late on to take third and fourth placings. Further back, there would be some slight inconveniences in-running for the likes of Beattie Is Back, Feel The Need and Tele Red, but they could only manage midfield placings at best.

There would be a sense of redemption for Mums Tipple here as many felt the gelding should have won at the Dante Festival in an identical race here last time. Ridden that day by the apprentice Alec Voikhansky, Mums Tipple raced with his typical enthusiasm, but burst into a three length lead before the final furlong pole. He was swallowed up by two others that day, but this time he had the assistance of Tom Marquand. Showing his customary long stride, it would be an emphatic way of winning for the first time since March 2023. Richard Hannon's son of Footstepsinthesand produced one of his most memorable displays at this venue back in 2019 at the Ebor Festival. Racing in the valuable sales race, he left his rivals for dead that day and won by an incredible eleven lengths which produced talk of him being a potential Guineas horse. His owners refused a mega offer from Coolmore and have since been rewarded for their patience. The chestnut didn't turn out to be a Group One horse as anticipated, but he continued to run to a classy level, winning twice at Wolverhampton including a listed race. It would be a lovely result to see such a well known old face rolling back the years and returning to the winners' enclosure, where he received a warm welcome from punters. Form is temporary, but class is permanent.