York Racecourse gets its season underway with the three day Dante Festival taking place this week starting on Wednesday through to Friday.
Prize money over the three days of the Dante Festival has risen for the eighth year in succession, increasing by £50,000 again this year to £1.5m. With a feature race taking place on each day of the Festival, the York season begins with a feast of top quality racing on the Knavesmire.
Wednesday’s £100,000 is just one of the races this week that offers a six figure sum to connections.
A feature race for three year old fillies, the Musidora has proved to be a greater pointer to the Investec Oaks, with six fillies going on to achieve Classic glory. Typically, fillies from the Musidora return as older horses to contest the Group Two Middleton Stakes on Thursday.
Wednesday also sees the sprinters going to post in the Group Two Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes, run over six furlongs. This year’s renewal will see a whole host of top class speedsters battling it out down The Knavesmire.
The Dante, the race so named to honour the last Yorkshire trained winner of the Derby back in 1945, is held on Thursday.
This Group Two contest now offers a very lucrative prize fund of £165,000. The Dante winner has gone on to win the Investec Derby ten times, with Golden Horn the last to achieve that impressive feat in 2015.
The British Stallion Studs EBF Westow Stakes for three-year-old sprinters is one of three Listed contests during the Festival to see its prize money rise to £50,000. This race also takes place on Thursday.
Friday’s feature race is the Yorkshire Cup with £165,000 on offer to the leading stayers over one mile and three-quarters, making it a valuable Group Two “Cup” race.
Friday’s renewal is part of the Qipco British Champions Series, the first of five York races that make up a special series of top races in Britain.
Let’s look at each day of the Dante Festival in some depth:
Dante Festival: WEDNESDAY
William Haggas has re-routed Frankellina (6/1) to York on Wednesday for the Musidora Stakes.
Haggas earmarked the Group Three prize as starting point for the daughter of Frankel after she was ruled out of the Oaks Trial at Lingfield on Saturday on account of the soft ground.
He said: "She is going to York. I just bottled out of it because of the ground and I didn't want her to have to hard a race. It was not as soft as I thought, but there was some rain forecast and I had to make a decision in the morning.
"She will run on Wednesday anyway."
Haggas has yet to decide whether to run stablemate Rainbow Heart in the Musidora or wait for the Listed Oak Farm Stables' Fillies' Stakes at the Knavesmire on Friday.
He said: "Rainbow Heart is also in the mile Listed race on Friday, so I don't know if she will run in the Musidora. I've got a bit of sorting out to do."
Henry Candy is watching the weather ahead of Limato's (10/1) scheduled return to action in the Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes on Wednesday.
The seven-year-old bounced back to form last summer, winning three on the bounce, although his season ended with defeat on Champions Day
That came in soft ground, though, and much more rain in Yorkshire could force Candy into a rethink.
"I'm delighted with the way he looks and he's certainly retained all of his old enthusiasm - he's in great form," said Candy.
"As ever with Limato, him running is entirely ground dependent. He scrambled home on good to soft ground in the Garrowby at York last year and he didn't like it much.
"I think in a race of that class he ought to have good ground or firmer."
Dante Festival 2019: THURSDAY
Too Darn Hot (7/4) had a pleasing workout in Newmarket on Friday morning ahead of his delayed comeback in the Dante Stakes at York.
Gosden said: "Too Darn Hot worked nicely under Frankie on what was perfect ground. Obviously we're trying to get him back to the sort of shape he was in a month ago.
"We've gone from getting him ready for the 2,000 Guineas to getting him ready for something else.
"We're pointing him towards the Dante at York where hopefully the ground won't be too soft."
Too Darn Hot features among 12 confirmations for the Dante, which is also the target for leading Classic contender Japan.
Japan's trainer Aidan O'Brien said: "The plan is to run Japan in the Dante once we're happy with him during the week. We had to give him a bit of time but he's coming along. He should come on for the run."
Dante Festival 2019: FRIDAY
Stradivarius (Evens) is among 12 remaining entries for the Yorkshire Cup.
The John Gosden-trained chestnut enjoyed an amazing season last year. After his victory in this race he went on to take the Ascot Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup, the Lonsdale Cup and rounded it all off with a win on Champions Day. In the process he also won the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million.
Aidan O'Brien is represented by 2017 Irish Derby winner Capri (9/2) and Southern France (11/1).
Last year's runner-up Desert Skyline (25/1) lines up again with Mootasadir (11/1) a possible for Hugo Palmer.
An interesting contender is Mark Johnston's Dee Ex Bee (6/1), second in the Derby last year and an impressive winner of the Sagaro Stakes. Stablemate Mildenberger (16/1) is also entered.
Aircraft Carrier (66/1), Ispolini (7/1), Sevenna Star (66/1), Young Rascal (14/1) and Pilaster (16/1) make up the field.
Check out our latest horse racing betting odds ahead of the York Dante Meeting...
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
