Race One: The Frank Whittle Partnership EBF Novices' Stakes - Class Two - Six Furlongs - 2-Y-O Only - Runners: 15

Just like on the opening day, the meeting would be kicked off by a juvenile maiden; this time over six furlongs. The timing of this contest in the lead up to Royal Ascot falls nicely and plenty of high profile trainers will be unveiling their next potential stars. Twelve months ago, the race would go the way of First Legion who made a winning debut for Richard Hannon. Back in fourth would be a certain Wise Approach, who went on to win the Group One Middle Park Stakes in excellent style and become one of the leading two-year-olds of last year.

This year's line up would be headed by the chestnut Clash Of Hearts from the Adrian Keatley stable. The son of Mehmas is speedily bred as a half brother to the classy Symbol Of Strength and his trainer is capable of introducing winning newcomers. Also from the racing hub of Malton would be Craig Lidster's Craven Force, who already has a bit of experience compared to his rivals. The Caturra colt has finished down the order in two quickfire novice races at Beverley recently. A second newcomer for the Adrian Keatley yard would be Leave The Bag In. He is a half brother to a talented hurdler and stayer, but has the speed influence from his sire Cotai Glory. First season sire Minzaal would be represented here by Mr Minz, who lined up for the Iain Jardine stable. The newcomer has a couple of pattern class horses in his family, so could be an interesting prospect here. The novice Irish trainer Diego Dias has already made an impact with winners in Britain in recent years and would have a first York runner with Ranting Duke. The son of Zoustar showed promise when fifth on his debut at Dundalk, despite having gotten upset in the stalls at the start. Yet another local stable with a runner here would be the Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood yard with Rlasthope. The gelding is related to a number of low quality sprinters and took fifth on debut in the Brocklesby and then went close against a talented juvenile at Musselburgh last time out. Karl Burke's record in novice races is one of the best in the country and he would be represented by Rock Steady Boat. The half brother to a Group Three winner would make appeal for a stable who won this in 2024. Kevin Ryan is another trainer who can get a newcomer ready to go on debut and would unveil his colt Sir Sirius. The half brother to a listed race winner would seemingly be held in good regard at home. A second newcomer from the Kevin Ryan stable would be Statten Island. He is another to be well related and should have a good future after this debut. Yet more interest for Yorkshire would come in the form of Richard and Peter Fahey's colt Sue's Last Hope. The chestnut is comes from a family of speedy winners and her stable often targets winners at York. One of the best bred runners in the race would come from the Ed Walker stable with The Ginger Kid. He comes from the distant family of the top class filly Tiggy Wiggy, so sprinting should be his game for a trainer who has done well with newcomers recently. The smaller scale stable of Nigel Tinkler often use York as a good schooling ground for their juveniles and would be represented here by Toon Army. The son of Kodiac has been gelded ahead of his debut which would be a concern, but there are winners in his family. Two fillies completed the line up here as Mick and David Easterby saddled their newcomer Saxy Lady in this strong looking contest. The daughter of Saxon Warrior should improve with experience and distance as she has some useful types in her pedigree. The Yorkshire stable would also be represented by The Resdev Roman, who also made her debut. The grey is related to a winning miler, so her connections should be able to find her level sooner rather than later. 

Winner:  PERSIAN SPRING (#5) (Persian Force x Darwell) - J. Spencer - R. Hannon

The weather conditions overhead for day two of the meeting would echo the previous day's as a sharp downpour would drench racegoers before the first race but the contest was run under bright sunshine. There would be a large group of mostly unknown juveniles in the opener which provided a tricky test for punters to find the winner.
As the horses milled around at the start, waiting their turn to walk into the gate, the newcomer Mr Minz would suddenly rear up and slipped on the grass; crashing to the ground and sending his rider Connor Beasley flying. Thankfully though, both horse and rider escaped any harm and the remaining fifteen would go into their gate with minimum fuss.

As the stalls opened, Ranting Duke was the most alert from his gate and soon led under Brazilian rider Diego Lima. There would a big number of front runners in the field as Statten Island and The Resdev Roman showed bright early pace up until the halfway stage as Craven Force would also join in with a share of the lead. Rock Steady Beat was never far away along with Clash Of Hearts and Persian Spring, who raced slightly keener than ideal. The field would remain as one large group and stayed down the middle of the track. As the heat began to rise, the runners started to fan out for racing room. Those who had raced close to the pace such as Craven Force began to fold and were quickly disposed of by those ahead. Inside the final furlong, Ranting Duke remained in the firing line as Clash Of Hearts looked to be a contender too. Persian Spring had shown a good turn of pace to take the lead from Ranting Duke and put his experience to good effect by pulling clear. The final furlong looked to be run in slow motion as the juveniles struggled on the tacky ground, but Persian Spring would land the spoils. Ranting Duke posted a much better run from his debut to take second place back to Ireland while Clash Of Hearts made a promising debut to finish third. Rlasthope ran to a decent standard as he kept on into fourth. There would be a few eyecatchers in the race, such as The Roman Resdev who showed plenty of pace early on, Sue's Last Chance who was held up and showing greenness before flying home into seventh and finally, Adrian Keatley's Leave The Bag In; another one to look clueless until the penny dropped. 

Richard Hannon landed this race and the five furlong novice race at this meeting in 2025 and it would be a case of deja vu as the Wiltshere based trainer repeated the feat in 2026. Following on from Cut A Dash's win yesterday, Persian Spring was well supported in the betting and gave a good start to the day for punters. Persian Spring is by the first season sire Persian Force, who has made a strong start with his first crop and the colt is also a half brother to an Irish Group Three placed juvenile Beauty Inspire. He would make his debut at Newmarket at the start of the month but was slowly away and was always playing catch up - eventually finishing in fifth. That race should provide future winners, so Persian Force relied on the experience from that day to win here pretty comfortably. The next step will naturally be Royal Ascot next month, but the winner looked quite pacy early on so has the potential to revert back to five furlongs for his next run. He now becomes the latest in a host of smart juveniles for the Richard Hannon stable.

Race Two: The Lindum York Handicap - Class Two - Five Furlongs - Runners: 22

The focus would soon switch to the older horses with this fiercely competitive handicap over five furlongs. As always is the case at York, the action will be fast and furious and a number of these runners have already crossed swords at this venue in the past. Twelve months ago, the Jim Goldie-trained American Affair continued his meteoric rise by winning this contest with ease and then landing in the big time with a win at Royal Ascot in the Group One King Charles III Stakes. 

This year's line up would be hoping for a similar path to last year's winner and top weight would be carried by Hammer The Hammer for trainer Kevin Ryan. He was a very quick front-runner last yard and improved by 20lbs in the first part of the season. After a second at the Royal meeting, he wasn't disgraced over six furlongs here on his last start in October. Robert Cowell would be represented by the resurgent Jakajaro, who returned to winning ways with an all-the-way success at Newmarket. The five year old ran well in a number of strong handicaps last year so he should be up to this contest. Redorange is another speedy sort who started last year off strongly, also placing at Royal Ascot. His form would trickle away at the end of last season in a listed race and on the all-weather. Another lining up for the Kevin Ryan yard would be Against The Wind, who finished third in a three year old's race at this meeting last year before ending up running in the Group One Prix de l'Abbaye. He would show up well in third on his reappearance at Southwell, but couldn't back it on last time out on Musselburgh last month. Katie Scott did an excellent job with the filly Luna A Inhir Nis, who landed six wins last year and rose from class six level to class two. One of those wins came over course and distance last summer and then finished very close up in third at the Ebor Festival before another good run in listed company when last seen. Another high profile winner from last season would be Richard and Peter Fahey's Stormy Impact. The filly came from a mile back to win the 3-Year-Old Dash at Epsom and also won over a longer distance. She would make her return to action in this good looking contest. Yet another four year old in the line up would be Ed Bethell's Corolla Point. The gelding won on debut for Godolphin but was unable to add to that tally. After a move up north, he won nicely on two occasions at the end of last year and could be set for a progressive season. The North East based stable of Tracey Waggott would saddle Heavenly Heather, who became one of the longest priced winner of a race just over a year ago at Newcastle. The strong traveller should be suited to this sort of contest here. Ziggy's Triton progressed nicely on the all-weather during the winter for David O'Meara and transferred that form to the turf by making most of the running to win at Musselburgh. This would be a tougher task as he has previously struggled in this grade. Air Force One struck up a good record at York last year, winning over this distance and then placing in a better contest at the Ebor Festival. He would sprout wings to win in the dying strides at Beverley recently so is at the top of his game. The former Irish-trained Sturlasson improved a large amount since joining the John Ryan yard last year and continued his progression with a second to Jakajaro at Newmarket last month. Kevin Ryan's Bergerac is a regular at York and has run well here on a number of occasions. He has shown that he isn't slowing down just yet at the age of eight. The five year old Toca Madera showed good form as a two year old and also finished third in this contest last year. He has since joined the David O'Meara stable which looks an interesting move for the season ahead. Jim Goldie has done a similar job with Eternal Sunshine compared to American Affair as the filly improved all the way through the season, landing the Portland Handicap at Doncaster. The mare has run poorly twice this season, but had excuses on her side. An improving type in the silks of the Horse Watchers would be Mick Appleby's Arklow Lad. The former Irish-trained gelding looks to be a natural over this trip and made it two wins for current connections with a smart win at Pontefract last time out. Another veteran in the line up would be Ruth Carr's Brazen Bolt, who won over course and distance last year albeit at a lower level. The nine year old showed he is still capable at his age with a second at Thirsk earlier this month. Tim Easterby would have plenty of interest in this contest with the first of his runners being I'm Next. The four year old has a good record on sharp tracks and was successful at Beverley in April. He showed steering issues when only fourth at Musselburgh last time out though. He would be joined by his legendary stablemate Copper Knight. The unofficial "king of York" is now a twelve year old, but raised the roof with a win at Beverley last time out and this could be a highly emotional win. Another local trainer with a couple of runners would be Antony Brittain and the first of them would be Blinky. The gelding has shown potential on a few occasions, but has been spotted on the all-weather mostly of late. His best runs came at the end of last year when second over this trip and this would be his first run on turf since October. Paul Midgley is often represented in sprint contests in Yorkshire and he would saddle Lethal Nymph here. The seven year old would have a chance on some of his older form, but he has been outclassed at this level on previous attempts. His latest win also came on the all-weather last autumn. A regular to York is the Nigel Tinkler-trained Squealer, who lined up on the Knavesmire once again. The six year old won a similar race over course and distance in June last year, but his form has dropped away and faces another uphill task in this contest. Completing the field would be a second runner for Antony Brittain, the five year old Sports Coach. The gelding has run well at York in the past and is a specialist over five furlongs. After winning at Southwell in March, he hasn't run badly recently now back on the turf. 

Winner: JAKAJARO (#2) (Too Darn Hot x Summer Flower) - J. Spencer - R. Cowell

There would be one change to the original line up as York regular Squealer was deemed to be a non-runner, but it left twenty one speedsters to go to post. The easing of the ground conditions suggested there would be a bias towards the horses drawn low over on the far side.
With that in mind, the preferred place to be would be against the far rail and as the runners settled into a flow after the start, three quarters of the field migrated to that side. Against The Wind got away from the stalls like a rocket and showed a lot of early pace to lead through the first half of the contest. There would be plenty in opposition to challenge him though as the likes of Arklow Lad, Sports Coach, Eternal Sunshine and the old boy Copper Knight all in close proximity. Over on the near side, there would be a much smaller group which saw Jakajaro blaze a trail and lead. He was followed by Toca Madera, Brazen Bolt, Ziggy's Triton, Stormy Impact and Bergerac as the overall pace of the race looked quite strong. Approaching the final furlong, it still looked unclear who had the outright lead, but Corolla Point had quicked up nicely on the far side to lead that group. On the near side, Jakajaro had burned off the attentions of those in his group and was clear. It became apparently shortly after that Jakajaro was the overall leader by some way. The five year old had burst clear from his twenty rivals and crossed the line just over two lengths to the good. Heavenly Heather emerged from the pack to grab second which would be one of her best efforts yet, while Corolla Point took third. Lethal Nymph would weave his wave from the rear and take fourth place while Brazen Bolt did best of the rest of those on the near side, nearly four lengths behind Jakajaro.

In a race which was expected to be dominated by those on the far side, Jakajaro turned it into a one horse race on the near side. The five year old ran to a very smart level when trained in Ireland by David Marnane as he finished fourth in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes in 2024. He would move to Britain in the winter of that year but things didn't start off well. Slowly but surely, the gelding started running well in big handicaps during the summer by taking third in the Stewards' Cup and fifth in the Portland Handicap. This year, Jakajaro has turned the corner. An all-the-way win at Newmarket last month came in dominant style and this was an even better effort. The five year old's confidence looks to be at a high and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him return to pattern company shortly. Races such as the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot and Nunthorpe Stakes back at York could be feasible targets with the small gap between high class handicappers and Group class sprinters. 

Race Three: The Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap - Class Two - One Mile - Runners:18

The difficult contests would continue, this time over a mile with this class two contest. Just like in the sprinting division at York, there would be a number of usual suspects returning to York once again alongside some younger potential improvers. Last year, Old Cock would benefit from a strong ride from Callum Rodriguez to win this contest for the Ed Bethell stable.

This year, the line up would be headed by another former winner of this contest; Ed Bethell's Point Lynas. The seven year old won this in 2024 before adding a listed race to his CV. He has also finished second in a Group Two, but his latest performances haven't been near that standard. The Wathnan Racing-owned four year old Diego Ventura landed a listed race in France almost a year ago to the day and has been running well in pattern company ever since. This would be his handicap debut after failing to stay nine furlongs last time out. The David O'Meara stable would have plenty of runners here and the first of them came in the form of Cerulean Bay. The five year old found a jolt of improvement last summer, winning twice and finishing second here in August and he would run well again last time with a narrow third at Haydock. The eight year old Vafortino has been a classy handicapper throughout his career, but has also won a listed race and finish second in a Group Two at this course. Since joining the Charlie Fellowes stable over the winter, he has competed in Group company so this would be an easier test back in handicaps. Godwinson has already won a high profile handicap in the past when landing last year's Lincoln Handicap, but his form went backwards later in the season. He has now moved to the Jack Channon stable in what looks an interesting move for his seasonal debut. The Newmarket stable of Simon and Ed Crisford would send up Shout, who showed good form as a three year old last year. He hasn't run to expectations so far this year with a couple of heavy defeats in big handicaps this spring. Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood's chestnut Thunder Roar has won at York in the past, but has a preference for slower ground. The seven year old finished well beaten in the Lincoln at Doncaster last time out. Another all-weather regular in the line up would be Wlliam Haggas's four year old First Principle. He would be progressive during the winter, but was disappointing in a competitive contest at Newcastle on Good Friday. A second runner for the David O'Meara stable would be recent Thirsk Hunt Cup winner Mirsky. The seven year old has been well handled by his trainer and also won at Epsom last season. In a reunion of former winners of this race, Croupier would look to regain his title. The seven year old won this narrowly in 2023, but was then absent for almost three years. Now with the Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith stable, he looked unsurprisingly rusty on his return at Haydock in April. William Haggas's Sea Force ran well on his last visit to York during the summer and has the profile of a horse to follow this year. The four year old looked unlucky at Thirsk last week when hampered in third and has a chance to show his true potential. The Charlie Hills-trained Galeron finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas quite a few seasons ago and has been unlucky not to win in a lot of races since. The six year old could only manage a midfield finish in the Lincoln Handicap, but could improve here. Theoryofeverything hasn't won as many races as he should have, but lined up at York once again for the David O'Meara stable. The six year old showed a liking for Ayr last year, winning and finishing second at that venue, but was down the field in the Lincoln on his comeback appearance. Yet another runner for the Helmsley stable of David O'Meara would be Duke's Command. The well bred gelding has won a number of times at a lower level, but posted one of his better efforts here in August. He would now return to a mile having been well held over ten furlongs in recent starts. Last year's winner Old Cock backed up that effort with a fourth here in July, but has been well beaten in recent starts. The five year old has subsequently left the Ed Bethell stable to join Antony Brittain's team and could be a high profile runner for the yard. The battalion of David O'Meara runners would continue, with the fifth runner Walsingham. The six year old landed a hat trick of wins last summer and showed he isn't finished with just yet with another win at Pontefract two weeks ago. Andrew Balding's horses have been doing very well in handicaps already this season and he would be represented by the returning Point Of Contact. The four year old ran well twice here last year as well as posting good efforts in handicap company so could be open to improvement now he has been gelded. The filly Maybe Not is another runner who progressed nicely during last season and landed three wins for the Ralph Beckett stable. One of her better runs came over seven furlongs at the Ebor meeting here before weakening into fourth at Newmarket on her final start. Another well travelled sort in this contest would be Eldrickjones from the Roger Fell stable. The seven year old finished second in a lesser race at last year's meeting, but has since shown his effectiveness on the all-weather where he has taken a number of minor placings recently. 

Winner: MAYBE NOT (#18) (Pinatubo x Considered Opinion) - S. Osborne - R. Beckett

Just like earlier in the afternoon, the skies became darker and storm clouds swirled over the Knavesmire. As the runners entered the paddock, rain drops began to fall which soon turned into a much heavier deluge with hail thrown into the mix as well. In all of the chaos, Galeron seemed reluctant to leave the paddock and reared up. He would topple over and become trapped between a hedge and a plastic railing. A nervous hush fell over the Knavesmire as racegoers waited for news, but thankfully Galeron was able to be treated by the vets and escape without any injuries.

Galeron was unsurprisingly withdrawn from the contest which left a field of eighteen, but the rain shower would vanish as quickly as it fell just before the start of the race. The delay seemed to fire up some of the runners and as the gates opened, there was a rush to get to the lead. Former winner Point Lynas raced keenly as he grabbed the lead from his plum draw of stall one, but he was kept honest by Shout, Vafortino and First Principle, who raced slightly wider. The gallop was a strong one and the field was soon lining up for the home straight, keeping to the far side once again. There would plenty of chances at the two furlong pole as the likes of Croupier, Old Cock and Mirsky were all in the firing line, but entering the final furlong, Shout had taken over in front. Point Lynas plugged on, but further back, Maybe Not had made eye catching headway. The filly overhauled Shout and Point Lynas to lead inside the closing stages and despite Cerulean Bay finishing strong, the race would go to Maybe Not; providing Saffie Osborne with a second win of the meeting. Third would go to Shout, who ran well despite racing keenly while fourth went to Point Lynas who did well after doing most of the hard work early on.

As the rain storm disappeared, the filly Maybe Not emerged from the clouds to continue her progress. Having raced twice as a juvenile, the daughter of Pinatubo had a good season last year with three wins and three placings. Her previous best effort came at this venue last summer where she chased home the recent Group Three winner Royal Velvet when second in a class two handicap over seven furlongs at the Ebor Festival before winning again at Southwell. This would be a smart effort on her seasonal debut and she clearly benefited from the strong gallop in the early stages. She is from the family of the very classy English Oak, Forest Of Dean and State Occasion, all of whom improved as four year olds, so this year could be an exciting one for connections of the filly. A step up into Group company could be next up, whether it comes over a mile or seven furlongs, she looks well up to that level.

Race Four: The Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes - Group Two - One Mile, Two Furlongs - Runners: 4

The first of two very competitive Group Two races over ten furlongs would take place, the first being the Middleton Stakes. Since its revamp in 1997 to attract older fillies and mares, the race has become a popular starting point for some high class sorts and rewards owners and trainers for keeping their horses in training for another year. All Too Beautful, Midday, Sariska, Lah Ti Dar and the 2024 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking are all included on the list of recent winners and twelve months ago, Andrew Balding's See The Fire produced a devastating display to win by twelve lengths and go on to place in numerous Group One races later in the season. 

This year's renewal would see the return of the brilliant mare Fallen Angel. Now a five year old, Karl Burke's star miler was at her very best last year, winning three Group One races in a row before a quiet run in a messy edition of the QE II Stakes at Ascot in October. This would be just her second attempt at ten furlongs. The Godolphin operation last won this race ten years ago, but would be represented by Charlie Appleby's Diamond Rain. The five year old landed two lower level Pattern races before looking unlucky in defeat in a couple of Grade One contests in North America. Another horse who has improved on the world stage who is returning to Britain here would be Fairy Glen for the Simon and Ed Crisford. The filly has improved over much longer trips and landed a pair of Group Two contests at Meydan, most recently the Dubai Gold Cup over two miles. Running for the Juddmonte operation would be Ger Lyons's Red Letter. The grey daughter of Frankel got the hang of things late in the season last year and picked up a Group Three before taking third at this level on Irish Champions Weekend in September. The Andrew Balding-trained See The Fire has two wins at York to her name and was a stunning, wide margin winner of this race last year. 

Winner: SEE THE FIRE (#4) (Sea The Stars x Arabian Queen) - O. Murphy - A. Balding

An exciting field of five would be reduced to four runners as Fairy Glen was found to have a stone bruise on the morning of the race, but the quartet would be a high class one. 
As the race got underway from the Juddmonte starting point of ten furlongs, there was less urgency than the previous race as the early gallop was no more than a steady one. Fallen Angel was tasked with dictating the pace under James Doyle as last year's winner See The Fire raced keenly in second. Godolphin's runner Diamond Rain settled in third, while the Juddmonte silks of Red Letter watched on from behind in fourth. Rounding the home bend, the pace was still a slow one which was far from ideal for these high class fillies. The leader Fallen Angel brought her rivals down the middle of the track and the pace began to increase. See The Fire remained held together by Oisin Murphy as she moved up to Fallen Angel at the top of the straight. Murphy had no other option but to send his filly forward, such was the ease in which she was travelling into contention. Fallen Angel was headed and soon dropped away as he stamina gauge hit zero and See The Fire kicked away at the two furlong pole. Diamond Rain was next to challenge with little between the four runners approaching the final furlong. Diamond Rain was next to hit the wall and her chance came to an end, which left Red Letter to be the last one to challenge See The Fire. The grey chased down See The Fire in the closing stages, but See The Fire had plenty up her sleeve. Oisin Murphy was able to nudge out his filly approaching the line to maintain her lead and made it back to back wins in the race by three-quarters of a length. Red Letter was perhaps flattered by the proximity to the winner while Diamond Rain came home a lonely third. Fallen Angel looked in need of this comeback and trailed home in fourth. 

The Middleton Stakes looked to be a stronger than the one last year which led to a fascinating renewal, but See The Fire still came through with flying colours at her favourite course. The five year old mare has been an excellent servant for her connections, finishing second in the Nassau Stakes as a three year old, as well as creating a love affair for York. She landed the Group Three Strensall Stakes in 2024 before her amazing success last year by an ever widening twelve lengths. After that win, she took on the males by finishing third in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, fourth in a high class Juddmonte International and then second against her own gender in the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp last October. She would make her much awaited return to action at Nottingham last month in the listed Nottinghamshire Oaks and she was sent into a big lead inside the final furlong. She was eased down and gave her backers a scare as she held on by a neck, but it was a very comfortable win. The ultimate goal will be to win a Group One this year which will be highly deserved. The Juddmonte International could be on the cards again this year and she is bred for that race as her parents Arabian Queen and Sea The Stars both won the world class race.

Race Five: The Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes - Group Two - One Mile, Two Furlongs - Runners: 8

The feature race of the whole meeting would talk place with the contest that bears the name of the festival, the Dante Stakes. Taking place over a mile and two furlongs, this is the most recognised trial for the Epsom Derby as it boasts a fine record for producing subsequent Epsom champions. Derby dreams will grow higher or blown apart in the space of three minutes here and all eyes would be drawn to the this race. Since the first race back in 1958, the Dante has produced eleven Derby winners with the first of them being Saint Paddy in 1960. Since then, the likes of Sharahstani, Reference Point, Benny The Dip, Motivator, Authorized and Golden Horn have done the famous double. The most recent to complete the achievement was the late Desert Crown, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, whose career was unfortunately cut short after his 2022 succes.
In more recent renewals, there have been a few shock results, namely last year when the unheralded Pride Of Arras burst into the Derby picture for the Ralph Beckett stable, but he ran very poorly in the Derby itself.

This year's running of the Dante Stakes would appear to be an advertisement of the powerhouse stables in racing with just five trainers represented. Despite this, some of the brightest middle distance prospects would take to the stage and lay down their hat into the Derby picture. Heading the field would be Action, trained by Aidan O'Brien. The colt is bred for the Derby as a brother to last year's Epsom hero Lambourn and finished second in the Futurity last autumn. He looked laboured when only fourth in Sandown's trial and needs to step forward from that. Godolphin would be represented by three runners, the first them being Charlie Appleby's Al Zanati, who finished second at Sandown recently. The son of Dubawi had previously won a Group Three in France and looks to have plenty of stamina. Doubling Aidan O'Brien's hand would be Christmas Day, who would be an unusually named winner for a Derby which takes place in June. The Ballydoyle charge has improved with experience and landed the Ballysax Stakes on his return in April and it didn't appear to be a fluke. John and Thady Gosden completed the Dante-Derby double with Golden Horn eleven years ago and they would be well represented this year. Their first runner would be Guildmaster in the Godolphin silks. He would win smartly despite big signs of inexperience at Lingfield, but looked outpaced behind Amadeus Mozart at Newmarket in April. The exciting Item would be given a bigger test here as Andrew Balding's colt put his unbeaten record on the line. The son of Frankel won twice in novice company with plenty of ease and is very well regarded too. Charlie Appleby would also call upon King's Trail, who landed a pair of novice races on the all-weather before leaping in class into the 2000 Guineas recently. He would run with credit in the Classic, but is bred to be better over longer distances. The William Haggas-trained Morshdi was diverted to this race after a Chester withdrawal and holds good claims for Epsom. He would break his maiden over a mile in October before re-emerging in the Fielden Stakes at Newmarket and holding on well to win. Completing this cracking line up would be another runner for the Gosdens, Wise Prince. The son of Ghaiyyath made a very impressive winning debut at Nottingham in October and ran well to take third at Sandown, splitting Action and Al Zanati in the process.

Winner: ITEM (#5) (Frankel x Capla Temptress) - C. Keane - A. Balding

This year's Dante looked to be a wide open affair this year with many of the leading contenders for the Epsom Derby having raced already this spring. All eight horses would line up as advertised and it would be time for the talking to stop and the horses to decide the outcome. 
As expected, the big white face of the chestnut Action would go straight into the lead under Wayne Lordan as the favourite and stablemate Christmas Day sat in his slipstream, slightly wider than ideal. Two of the Godolphin runners, Guildmaster and Al Zanati would come next, along with Morshdi, but they would all race keenly in the opening stages. The second Gosden runner Wise Prince was slow from the gates and already on the back foot. He brought up the rear, a place behind Item as the field galloped past the woods. The gallop set by Action wasn't a strong one and there would be around five lengths covering the eight runners as they rounded the bend. One of the key moments of the race came at the halfway point of the home straight as Ryan Moore brought Christmas Day to the near side of the pack while Action stayed down the centre. Kings Trail would follow Christmas Day to the stands side and there would be plenty of chances at the business end. Action would then carry his head in the air when under pressure as all the while, Item had made strong headway down the straight. Item would eye to eye with Action before quickening up in good style, he then drifted to his left but once Colin Keane straightened his mount up, Item began to lengthen away. Hitting the line strongly to win this year's Dante Stakes by an impressive two and three quarter lengths. Action held on for second, finishing ahead of Christmas Day while Kings Trail got his career back on track with a fourth place. 

The most prestigious trial for the Derby would be a muddling race this season and posed more questions than answers for the Derby. The gallop was just a modest one early on and a few of the well fancied runners ran below expectations, but the winner Item had been strongly backed into 11-2 in the final moments before the off. The son of Frankel lined up here as the sole unbeaten horse in the field, but this was a bigger test than before. He made his debut in September in a novice at Kempton over seven furlongs where he was outpaced early on but finished strongly to win by over three lengths that day. Just a few weeks later, he would go to Bath for another novice contest; this time over a mile. He would make all the running on this occasion and pulled clear once again to win even more impressively by three lengths. Group One races like the Dewhurst Stakes and Futurity Stakes were passed over due to the slower autumn ground, so this was a big race to make his comeback in. Trainer Andrew Balding has made no secret of the regard he holds Item in and this was a very smart performance given the fact he still looked inexperienced here. There would be a question over his stamina for the Derby and his natural ability to handle Epsom's undulations, but there is only one Epsom Derby in a horse's career and he was rightly made second favourite for the Classic as he looks to emulate Desert Crown as the last unbeaten horse to win the Derby.

Race Six: The British Stallion Studs EBF Westow Stakes - Listed Race - Five Furlongs - Runners: 10

The pattern level racing would continue for the three year olds, but this time it would be the turn of the sprinters. This listed contest can often unveil a high class sprinter in the making, as was the case in 2021 when the filly Winter Power took this prize en route to winning the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes later that season. Last year, Andrew Balding's Tropical Storm would get up in the closing stages to win, adding to the listed race he won here during the season previously as a juvenile.

This year's line up of sprinters would be led by James Owen's Aspect Island The colt has just one win to his name, but outran his expectations when third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last autumn, but faded away against older rivals on his comeback at Newmarket. Next up would be the Ed Walker-trained Black Star Boy. He would show modest promise on his debut before getting off the mark at Newbury on second start. His previous visit to York came in a strong listed race over six furlongs in October, but he finished strongly to win over five furlongs at Sandown in handicap company. Boston Dan produced two of his better efforts at York, namely when second in a sales race and a listed race over six furlongs, but the Richard and Peter Fahey-trained colt ran poorly at Newmarket on his seasonal reappearance in April. Kevin Ryan does well with this sort of horse and he would be represented by Dickensian. The colt showed very smart form last season, finishing in the placings at Royal Ascot and most recently in the Flying Childers at Doncaster in September. The small stable of Grace Harris have done well with the stable star Exclamation, who returned to winning ways at Chester last week by showing plenty of speed and making all the running. A very exciting prosect in the line up would be David O'Meara's gelding Manatee Mehmas. He had been an unknown before his debut at Doncaster, but he won very impressively that day and is highly regarded by his trainer. The Roses Stakes was won by Tim Easterby's Revival Power, who defeated a few of today's rivals in that race, but the filly went on to win a Group Two at Doncaster the following month. She looks to emulate her sister Winter Power by winning this contest. The James Horton-trained Sirius A has raced as far as seven furlongs during his first season last year and posted good efforts in defeat. The Group Two-placed colt returned to winning ways at Wolverhampton last month in a useful looking conditions race. The unbeaten Desert Treasure would line up here for the William Haggas stable and remains a smart prospect. The filly has overcome slow starts in both of her races but won in good style and this would be a tougher test. The grey Hollywood Treasure made a good start to her career for Kevin Philippart de Foy as she won a listed race at Newbury over this trip. After struggling over six furlongs in France, she ran back to near her best with a second in a similar contest at Goodwood recently. Eve Johnson Houghton's filly Palmeira remains one of the best maidens in training as she finished placed in a few pattern races last season. Her best effort came at Newbury when second in a similar race to this one and her latest effort came when taking on older horses at Bath. She would be a worthy winner when the time comes. Andrew Balding's Simplify has been very progressive recently. Her form has taken off this season with two wins in lower grade handicaps, but the way she has won suggests she is worth a try at this level. Completing the line up would be a couple of runners from the Brian Ellison stable. The first would be Temple Of Athena, a tough sort who won twice last year and third over course and distance, but struggled to handle Chester on her latest start. Her stablemate Wor Faayth would also take part. She would land a listed race in France before taking on the Lowther Stakes over six furlongs, but her limitations were exposed in Group company on her final two starts.

Winner: DICKENSIAN (#6) (Pinatubo x Yourtimeisnow) - S. Gray - K. Ryan

The filly Wor Faayth was taken out of the race on the morning before racing which halved Brian Ellison's runners, but the ten who remained provided an exciting line up with a number of Group race perfomers.
The action from the five furlong starting point would be fast and furious and it would be the filly Revival Power was alertly away from her gate, charging into the lead early on. She would be pressed after a furlong by Aspect Island and Boston Dan who raced on the far side while Manatee Mehmas was also showing good early speed to latch onto the leader's slipstream. Temple Of Athena and Exclamation were also in the firing line approaching the halfway stage, but Dickensian missed the break and was briefly tailed off from the main group. He was gently coaxed back into the pack by Shane Gray as the field began to approach the final furlong. As Boston Dan found this race too hot and weakened out of contention, it was left to Aspect Island to take the lead. Revival Power lost her grip at the head of affairs and was next to empty out as Simplify made smooth headway. The filly nosed into the overall lead at the furlong pole, but the race wasn't over yet as Dickensian had hit top gear. The trio of three year olds went nose to nose inside the final furlong as Manatee Mehmas gradually weakened into fourth, but it would be Dickensian who finished best of all and hit the line in first by half a length. Simplify would produce a new career best in third while Aspect Island went down fighting and was beaten narrowly in third. 

It would be a first win since his debut for the well regarded Dickensian, who gave trainer Kevin Ryan a first win in the race. The son of Pinatubo went into a lot of notebooks after a first time out win at Musselburgh in April last year where he made all of the running that day and he went on to hold his own in much better company. After a defeat on second start at Ascot, Dickensian would bounce back with an excellent effort in the Windsor Castle Stakes at the Royal meeting, finishing first in his group of fourteen but second overall behind Havana Hurricane. That was followed by a third in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and again third in the Roses Stakes during the Ebor Festival here last year. The colt finished last year with a third in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster in September behind Revival Power and Aidan O'Brien's Kansas. Dickensian would spoil his chances last year by racing keenly early on, but he looked to be much more settled here which bodes well for this year. He has raced over five furlongs in all of his starts to date and there seems to be no reason to move up in trip. The Group One Nunthorpe Stakes would presumably be the main target for the Yorkshire stable, a race in which three year olds have run well in before.

Race Seven: The Sky Bet Handicap - Class Four - One Mile, Four Furlongs - Runners: 12

The final race of day two of the Dante Festival would be yet another for three year olds that could have a bearing on the near future. This class four handicap may be low grade by name, but some of the previous winners have gone on to bigger and better things. In 2022, Al Qareem became a household name before winning numerous Group races over staying distances, while last year, William Haggas's Merchant was a clear cut winner and followed up at Royal Ascot in impressive style. The form was also boosted from last year's renewal as runner Rahiebb went on to fill the same spot in the St Leger at Doncaster later in the season.

With that in mind, there would be plenty of notebooks ready to spot some future stars who would line up in this contest. Top weight would be carried by Baltic Fleet for the Classic winning combination of George Boughey and Billy Loughnane. The son of Space Blues has shaped like a stayer, winning on his second start before chasing home a winner who got first run at Bath over ten furlongs last time out. North East trainer Michael Dods has held his runner Northern Brave in high regard and the colt looks set for a good season this year. The son of Gleneagles showed promise when third on debut, before pulling well clear to win at Ayr in October on heavy ground. Andrew Balding is another trainer with plenty of horses that fit this kind of race and would be represented by the gelding Hard To Believe. He has won his last two starts over an extended mile at Bath and Wolverhampton, but looks ready to move up in distance ahead of this handicap debut. Charlie Johnston is another trainer who is regularly spotted in races like this and he would saddle Parisian Scholar this time around. The gelding won three times over a mile last autumn before placing over a similar distance on the all-weather, but this would be a harder test at this level. The National Hunt stable of Harry Derham recently landed a first Grade One and would break new ground with a runner at York in the form of Sudbury Hill. The gelding's only win came at Newcastle last year, but would go down fighting when second at Redcar over ten furlongs and looks to be a tough sort. Karl Burke has won this race in the recent past and would be represented this year by the filly Pendella. She would dictate the pace when winning for the first time at Wolverhampton, but this looks to be a tricky contest to make her turf debut in. Another local trainer with a runner here would be Tim Easterby with Stoneacre Donny. The gelded son of Japan would get off the mark at Thirsk last summer before running well enough over this sort of distance at Doncaster a few weeks ago. James Owen is capable of trainer sprinters and stayers equally and would his runner in this contest would be Charles Darnay. The gelding is bred to appreciate long distances and was game when winning over this trip at Kempton on his latest start. Another handicap newcomer in the line up would be Knightsail from the David Menuisier stable. The stoutly bred son of Camelot looked promising when third at Goodwood, but took a step backwards on his seasonal return at Nottingham recently. The Dylan Cunha-trained Arc Ole Ole was highlighted as a horse to follow this year by a number of pundits and the gelding delivered on his seasonal debut at Doncaster at the end of March; scoring by a narrow margin, but looking like he will enjoy further. Shaun Lycett's horses are usually found in this sort of contest and he would saddle Cotton Bud here. The filly improved with each start last season, but her stable debut in April saw her land a first career win at Doncaster. Another predominantly jumps based yard with a runner in this race would be Alan King as he saddled Heroics. The gelding has improved with each start and looked to enjoy the extra distance when second over eleven furlongs at Kempton last time out. The up and coming stable of Oli Rix would also have a first York runner here with Dryburgh. The gelding remains a maiden, but has gradually finished closer with each start; including a third and second at Doncaster and Nottingham respectively. He looks ready to try this new trip in an open contest. Horses tend to improve a bucket load once they move into low grade handicaps and that has been the case for Ben Haslam's gelding Wicksey. He was raised in distance after the New Year and it has seen him win three in a row, albeit at a much lower level. A pair of horses from the Mick and David Easterby yard would round out the field. Howsham began his career over seven furlongs, but started to catch the eye at the end of the season over a mile. This would be a first go at this sort of trip, but he took on some good prospects in a maiden race here in October. He would be joined by stablemate Tommo's Ginjaninja, who has placed in all but one of his five starts so far. The chestnut has been slow to start his races, but often finishes strongly at the death. 

Winner: ARC OLE OLE (#10) (Study Of Man x Alma Linda) - J. Doyle - D. Cunha

The competitive contest would be reduced by two more as Charles Darnay received a kick by another horse at the stalls and Knightsail became upset in the stalls; both horses were promptly withdrawn before the start.
As the gates opened, Pendella was able to get a good start from his inside draw and was soon joined by the keen going Northern Brave. Further wide on the course, Parisian Scholar was kept away from the main group down the back straight by Jason Hart but had moved forward into the overall lead as the pace settled down. Baltic Fleet was also drawn on the far side and raced wider than most in the opening stages, but followed Parisian Scholar in second, demoting those on the inside by a place or two. Next up would come Arc Ole Ole and Wicksey, who both raced keenly, as well as Heroics and Sudbury Hill. Bringing up the rear would be the likes of Stoneacre Donny, Cotton Bud and Dryburgh as the pace was just a steady one. Parisian Scholar had tracked across as the back straight came to an end and he apexed the first bend in the lead. The pack remained fairly well bunched around the home bend and once again, they opted for the far side running rail down the home straight. Parisian Scholar remained in front, but he was swarmed by rivals approaching the two furlong pole. Baltic Fleet moved into a share of the lead while Arc Ole Ole was travelling very smoothly on the far side. The gaps would open for the favourite and he quickened up well in the final furlong. It would turn into a one horse race as Arc Ole Ole powered clear to score by two and three quarter lengths in the style of a progressive sort. Stoneacre Donny briefly looked threatening before plugging on into second while Baltic Fleet held onto third. Heroics would round out the top four as Pendella weakened out of the frame.

The former champion trainer in South Africa, Dylan Cunha, has well and truly landed in Britain and has made a reputation as one of the best medium-sized yards in the country. The Newmarket trainer has another exciting prospect on his hands in the form of Arc Ole Ole, who could go onto bigger things. The colt comes from a stoutly bred family as a son of French Derby winner Study of Man and out of the mare Alma Linda. He is a half brother to the filly Miss Alpilles, who won a listed race over two miles last autumn. Further back in the pedigree, the likes of high class Almeric and the brilliant Alborada can be found. Arc Ole Ole make his debut as recently as October last year where he weakened in the closing stages over a mile at Newmarket, but he hasn't looked back since. A first career win came at Bath shortly after his debut and he was named as a horse to follow this year. He made a good start to this season with a last gasp win at Doncaster's season opening meeting in late March over ten furlongs and this race will have seemingly been planned for a while. The nature of this win suggests he can cope with a rise in class and he has the potential to follow last year's winner Merchant and line up at Royal Ascot for the King George V Handicap over a mile and a half. A Royal Ascot win in that contest would tick off another accomplishment on Cunha's ever growing CV.