The final day of the Dante Festival takes place at York Racecourse today. (Image: Archive)
The York Dante Festival comes to an end on Friday afternoon, and their seven-race card includes two Listed races and the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup.
Action begins at 2.10pm with a Listed contest over five furlongs and concludes at 5.30pm with a seven-furlong Class 4 handicap, with odds available HERE.
Proceedings get underway at 2.10 with the Listed Marygate Fillies’ Stakes over five furlongs for the two-year-olds, and Harry’s Girl can build on her opening Newmarket success last month.
Trainer Richard Hannon was quite complimentary of her after that maiden success at Flat racing’s HQ, and he highlighted this race almost immediately after.
The two horses behind her at Newmarket, Ruby’s Angel and Twilight Star, have run well in good races subsequently, and she has the ability to win this.
Race two at 2.42 is a valuable handicap over one mile and two-and-a-half furlongs, and Thunder Run could be too good here.
He was poor in the Lincoln Handicap in March, but he was well-fancied for the race, and it was his first start of the season.
He should come on for it fitness-wise, and he’s only four pounds higher than his last winning mark.
That success came at this track over a mile, and he was sent off at 4/6 to win a handicap at Thirsk last season when rated 96.
If he was that well-fancied that day, a rating of 100 shouldn’t stop him here.
In the third race, the Listed Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes at 3.13 over one mile, Gulya can make up for a luckless performance at Ascot last month.
The Night Of Thunder filly was sent off a well-fancied favourite 16 days ago, and she would have probably won if not for her horrible route through the contest.
Victory Queen beat her by a short-head that day, but Roger Varian’s chestnut filly showed plenty of promise in second, and she can build on that.
On her debut last season, she finished second to Aidan O’Brien’s Whirl at Doncaster, and that form got a boost this week when Whirl won the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York. All in all, she is the fancy.
It’s his first start of the season, granted, but Sweet William could be the one in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup Stakes at 3.45. Rebel’s Romance is clearly a classy animal, but this is his first start at one mile and six furlongs, while Sweet William is a proven stayer at this level.
He was a solid third in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot behind Kyprios and Trawlerman, and he also won the Doncaster Cup last season. He should go well.
The 4:15 at York on Friday is a five-furlong Class 3 handicap, and Elouise’s Prince is interesting for Robert Cowell.
He looked impressive during both of his successes this season, the latter of which saw him defy a penalty to win comfortably at Wolverhampton.
This is his handicap debut, and a mark of 87 doesn’t look like the worst in the world. Danny Tudhope takes the ride, and he could be anything in this company.
The penultimate race, a one-mile novice stakes at 4.55, can go the way of Bowmark for John & Thady Gosden.
He ran a big race in Listed company at Newcastle last month when second to Glittering Legend, and that still leaves him unexposed having won his Kempton debut in December.
By Kingman out of the Galileo mare Bound, his dam won a Listed race, so he has a lovely pedigree.
Connections have entered this three-year-old for the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, so if he is to run there, he should be winning this.
In the finale (5.30), a 0-85 seven-furlong handicap, Stockpile could be overpriced.
The Oasis Dream half-brother to Pyledriver has raced four times for Sam England, and he shaped nicely at Doncaster in March when second to Alzahir, who went on to win at Thirsk on his next start.
He goes on quick ground, and he’s race-fit. A mark of 73 is also workable.
Friday selections – York
2.10 – Harry’s Girl
2.42 – Thunder Run
3.13 – Gulya
3.45 – Sweet William
4.15 – Elouise’s Prince
4.55 – Bowmark
5.30 – Stockpile