Derby pointers in York’s Dante

9:53am Friday 9th May 2008

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CAN it prove to be the Epsom Derby indicator once again? If you want to have a chance on the famous Surrey Downs, history has shown you need to perform well a month earlier in the totesport Dante Stakes at York Racecourse.

Three of the last four winners have impressed first on Knavesmire and, with the eyes of the sporting world once more on York next week as the new season gets underway with the three-day May festival, there are certain to be a few contenders in the frame for the now famous double.

The totesport Dante Stakes, the highlight of the May meeting on Thursday, has proved to be Britain's most informative Derby trial in recent years.

North Light won it in 2004 before striking home in the Derby, Motivator did the same in 2005 and who can forget the success of last season's horse of the year Authorized?

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, the hero of Knavesmire romped to an easy win at Epsom before returning to York in triumph in August to win the racecourse's most valuable race ever - the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes.

This time the Group 2 contest, supported for the sixth year by totesport, has prize money of £150,000. Expected to be in the line-up is Henry Cecil's ante-post favourite for the Derby, the Newmarket Craven Stakes winner Twice Over.

John Gosden is set to send Sandown Classic trial winner Centennial to the event and, with a strong challenge from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle empire, it is likely the race will throw up some major clues.

But the totesport Dante isn't the only contest to get the mouth watering next week. The action on Wednesday includes a pair of Group races - the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes and the Duke of York Hearthstead Homes Stakes.

The opening day continues with the Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora - a leading trial for next month's Classic Juddmonte Oaks and Gosden will be hoping Dar Re Mi can do the business.

The filly, owned by Lady Lloyd Webber, was an easy winner of a Sandown maiden and her performance saw her promoted to second favourite for the Oaks in some quarters. Whatever her potential, she is likely to have her credentials thoroughly examined in the Musidora.

Elsewhere, the £100,000 six-furlong Duke of York Stakes, won by Amadeus Wolf for Hambleton's Kevin Ryan last year, will attract the very best sprinters, while the longest race of the meeting, theripleyconnection.com Stakes, will make use of the north bend added as part of Royal Ascot at York in 2005 as it winds its way along two and a quarter miles.

The Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup is Friday's mammoth contest, with leading stayers competing for £140,000 in the Group 2 race over a mile and three-quarters.

The Yorkshire Cup has a superb pedigree in producing top-class stayers who have competed in Ascot's Gold Cup before returning to York for the Lonsdale Cup at the August Ebor Festival.

Overall, the seven race programme on each day is offering a total prize pool of £835,000 - ensuring York will attract the world's best horses and Europe's leading riders once again.

While the action on the famous turf this season is likely to be hotter than ever, the same is also expected in the training ranks. Malton trainer Richard Fahey kept the title in North Yorkshire again last season, with seven winners, but is likely to face stiff competition as he looks to win the Minster Jaguar Trophy for a third consecutive season.

Jamie Spencer, whose nine winning rides saw him crowned York's top jockey of 2007, will also be looking to keep his title in the Global Live sponsored contest but with Osbaldwick-based Robert Winston looking back to his best and big names such as Ryan Moore, Seb Sanders and, of course, Dettori expected at all the big meetings, it is going to be quite a task.

So as the new season prepares to take centre stage from Wednesday, it is likely to be another fascinating campaign.