Key events
2.42 YORK, HAMBLETON HANDICAP, 7F 192YD
Another very trappy handicap to tee up the card’s pair of Group Two events, with 14 runners going to post and a draw in stall 15 posing an obvious problem for Ryan Moore on Sisyphean, the second-favourite, who generally likes to be right up with the pace. Kevin Ryan’s four-year-old was a winner over track and trip last summer, but is up against several opponents that also go well at this track including the likely favourite, BLUE FOR YOU. David O’Meara’s gelding is now seven years old but made a promising return to action at Haydock in April and his usual visor – which was missing last time – is back on today. He is just 2lb higher than for his last course success in July 2024 and is certain to get the strong pace he needs to give him a tow into the race.
2.10 YORK, HANDICAP, 5F
The card gets underway here with a typically competitive sprint handicap for the track, with an 18-strong field headed – in the betting, at least – by American Affair, successful at Musselburgh on his return but perhaps more familiar to punters as the narrow winner of last season’s Portland Handicap at Doncaster. Today’s second-favourite, Jm Jungle, was third, beaten a nose and a head, and has a 5lb swing in the weights now, with several more of today’s runners – including Shagraan, Trilby and Vantheman further behind. Rumstar, who took a Group Three at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting, was fourth across the line so it is clearly strong form and I fancy that John & Sean Quinn’s JM JUNGLE, who loves it here, could be the one to back this afternoon.
Preamble
A very good afternoon from the Knavesmire in York, where Aidan O’Brien will complete a veritable rampage through this year’s Epsom Classic trials if The Lion In Winter, who took over as the favourite for next month’s Derby after winning the Acomb Stakes here nine months ago, can live up to his advance billing in this afternoon’s Dante Stakes.
Other candidates for Epsom glory have put down their markers over the last couple of weeks, including Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, and a seemingly endless succession of classically-bred trial winner from the O’Brien stable.
Yet they may have been simply marking time ahead of the reappearance of The Lion In Winter, as the warm favourite for today’s feature race had Ruling Court back in third when he won here last August, and has been seen as O’Brien’s No.1 candidate for the Derby ever since.
Push will very much come to shove at 3.45 today, when 11 runners are due to set off for the Group Two Dante Stakes, the feature race of the three-day meeting here at York. The Lion In Winter has been a little uneasy in the market this morning, drifting out from around evens to 11-8, and there are several live contenders to knock him off his perch, the most obvious of which are Wimbledon Hawkeye, Pride Of Arras and Alpine Trail, with an honourable mention for Damysus.
Any one of those names could conceivably be at single-figure odds for the Derby by 4pm, while The Lion In Winter could be odds-on, 33-1 or anything in between depending on how he goes this afternoon.
The Dante is the obvious feature of the card, but the supporting races have plenty to recommend them too and the field for the Middleton Stakes – also a Group Two – is headed by Andrew Balding’s See The Fire, fifth of 11 runners in last year’s Champion Stakes and the type to make up into a serious Group One contender this year. The going on the Knavesmire remains good to firm, good in places, and the action is underway at 2.10 with a big field going to post for a five-furlong handicap.
