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Dante meeting 2025

Ian_Davies said:
3.13 Flora Of Bermuda is best with cut and, unless she gets it, rather boringly the jolly Insherin may be the one to beat.
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Flora Of Bermuda has run a blinder on that ground for me - a profitable race, but it would have been better if they'd finished the other way around! 😂
 
Ian_Davies said:
5.25 I wanted Great Bedwyn for the dollars at Glorious Goodwood last year, but he was dropped right out to get the 1m6f and was only third. I'm not sure he stays that well tbh and 1m4f on the Knavesmire back down to just 3lb higher than he won off at Newbury (1m4f) might be just the ticket.
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Thank F for THAT!

It was starting to look like the worst day anyone's had on the Knavesmire since Dick Turpin's final visit, but your favourite Uncle Smart Arse came out on top at the death.

I may treat you all to my Thursday thoughts later on now - aren't you lucky? 😂
 
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Thursday

2.10: Giving this contest the old bodyswerve.

2.42: I hate going for the jolly, but Blue For You has a favourite's chance in this. Loves the place, equally effective on ground either side of Good, shaped well at Haydock Park, favourably drawn and only 2lb higher than last time he won here. I make him 3/1 (25% chance of winning) so anything North of 100/30 offers a bit of value.

3.13: Interesting race. See The Fire has an obvious chance, but Doha did me a favour at Republican Ascot last year and could be even better this year.

3.45: The Lion In Winter is in my three-pronged "Derbfolio" (though only at 7/1 and I like my 16/1 Delacroix and my 6/1 Ruling Court more), but he's got it all to prove here. I could see Alpine Trail giving him a race at the very least.

4.18: Race to watch for me.

4.58: I'd expect Wise Approach to confirm Ascot placings with Tadej despite the penalty, but he's no price, is he?

5.25: Tory Boy (but then aren't they all?) Beckett excels with horses like Anniversary, but the ground may be the quickest he's faced so far and he's plenty short enough. Could see him ending up being a fair bit better than OR 93, though.
 
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Ian_Davies said:
Thursday

2.10: Giving this contest the old bodyswerve.

2.42: I hate going for the jolly, but Blue For You has a favourite's chance in this. Loves the place, equally effective on ground either side of Good, shaped well at Haydock Park, favourably drawn and only 2lb higher than last time he won here. I make him 3/1 (25% chance of winning) so anything North of 100/30 offers a bit of value.

3.13: Interesting race. See The Fire has an obvious chance, but Doha did me a favour at Republican Ascot last year and could be even better this year.

3.45: The Lion In Winter is in my three-pronged "Derbfolio" (though only at 7/1 and I like my 16/1 Delacroix and my 6/1 Ruling Court more), but he's got it all to prove here. I could see Alpine Trail giving him a race at the very least.

4.18: Race to watch for me.

4.58: I'd expect Wise Approach to confirm Ascot placings with Tadej despite the penalty, but he's no price, is he?

5.25: Tory Boy (but then aren't they all?) Beckett excels with horses like Anniversary, but the ground may be the quickest he's faced so far and he's plenty short enough. Could see him ending up being a fair bit better than OR 93, though.
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Interesting races, and sure to throw up plenty of future winners, but not much to bet on for me.

I think 2.10 is most interesting betting race and I have small stakes on Nazron 33/1 and Vince L’Amour 28/1.

Totally agree on Blue For You, but too short to interest me, with high likelihood of trouble in running.

In other races, just speculative small investments on Sioux Life 3.13 16/1 (probably wants it softer and I think one to keep an eye on this season) and Tuscan Hills 3.45 18/1, in the hope he’s another King of Steel for Amo Racing.
 
I've just caught up with today's replays of the first four races.

It looks like there's a front-runners' bias, something to bear in mind going forward.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I've just caught up with today's replays of the first four races.

It looks like there's a front-runners' bias, something to bear in mind going forward.
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I think the next race you look at, the winner comes from last. Quite a few unlucky on inside of him though. However, winner did well given interference he had at the start.
 
Euronymous said:
He's fav now but I took 13/2 about the Balding trained Gallant in the 4.18. He was a staying on 4th in a very hot 6f handicap at the Craven meeting. I've also got 33/1 about Smoken for the Oaks so would like a good run from her in the Musidora and lastly on Wed I can't believe I'm contemplating Korker again in the 2.42 but the 7lb claimer booking means he's off 96 effectively and he's double figures. Can ignore his AW runs.

No real opinions on the rest of the week until DECS I guess.
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Bad day. I didn't back Korker, Smoken was terrible and Gallant would have won if he hadn't been ridden by a bellend.

Never mind though. Thursday I'll give another chance to Stannage in the Hambleton. He was badly outpaced dropped back to 6 last time out and this trip is more suitable. He's around 14/1.
 
Euronymous said:
Bad day. I didn't back Korker, Smoken was terrible and Gallant would have won if he hadn't been ridden by a bellend.

Never mind though. Thursday I'll give another chance to Stannage in the Hambleton. He was badly outpaced dropped back to 6 last time out and this trip is more suitable. He's around 14/1.
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I see where you are coming from. One slight negative for myself anyway, is that Ten Pounds was so disappointing weakening very quickly at Ascot on Saturday. If he could have franked the form of Stanage's third last month, I'd be more on the horses side tomorrow.

The one I think will go well at a big price is Urban Sprawl, third in a Brittania off a nine pound higher mark in 2023 and now rated 81. He might be coming to the boil at the right time.

Good luck all tomorrow.
 
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The Fortune Teller said:
The one I think will go well at a big price is Urban Sprawl, third in a Brittania off a nine pound higher mark in 2023 and now rated 81. He might be coming to the boil at the right time.
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Urban Sprawl found its way into my tracker many moons ago. I can’t remember why now and almost always ignore the reminder. You could be right that he might be interesting tomorrow and he has bagged stall 1, which could be handy as he usually races prominently, and there may be plenty of hard luck stories in behind.

Pedantry alert: It is Britannia.
 
My first memory of the Dante Stakes is a bizarre one

A few years after ceasing to be "The Doctor" in "Doctor Who" Jon Pertwee appeared on an ITV Quiz Show and the subject of who might win The Derby cropped up.

"I've been told Leonardo Da Vinci," said Pertwee.

The following week, the colt got beaten out of sight in the Dante and never made it to Epsom.

You'd expect a time traveller to have seen that coming tbh.
 
Ian_Davies said:
My first memory of the Dante Stakes is a bizarre one

A few years after ceasing to be "The Doctor" in "Doctor Who" Jon Pertwee appeared on an ITV Quiz Show and the subject of who might win The Derby cropped up.

"I've been told Leonardo Da Vinci," said Pertwee.

The following week, the colt got beaten out of sight in the Dante and never made it to Epsom.

You'd expect a time traveller to have seen that coming tbh.
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Those were the days when the Wood Ditton Stakes winner became automatic a/p Derby favourite.
Imagine that happening now .
1978 when Dante winner Shirley Heights went on to win 2 Derbys.
Leonardo by Brigadier Gerard ex Lupe, said by Pat Eddery to be the best he had ridden; jockeys can get it wrong too !
 
Shirley Heights had been absolutely hammered by Whitstead in a bog in the Sandown Park Classic Trial first time out but, when a 3yo colt suddenly starts improving in the spring, there's no telling where the improvement will end.

Similar story with Shirley Heights's son Slip Anchor, also well beaten first time out and also winning The Derby less than two months later.
 
edgt said:
Those were the days when the Wood Ditton Stakes winner became automatic a/p Derby favourite.
Imagine that happening now .
1978 when Dante winner Shirley Heights went on to win 2 Derbys.
Leonardo by Brigadier Gerard ex Lupe, said by Pat Eddery to be the best he had ridden; jockeys can get it wrong too !
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Re. Wood Ditton, remember when you'd see lots of the horses which finished well down the field going on to win their next race. Seem to remember in the early to mid 70's one such non placer won a good race at Chester @ 33's next time (Ernie Johnson may have ridden it but that jockey guess could be stretching it).
 
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Cracking clip - check out the racing results, I was at Beverley that Saturday and among the horses in the frame was Badsworth Boy in a 3yo 1m handicap:
 
My thoughts on the Dante winner
The winner won well and deserves to be where he is in Derby market with shades of Desert Crown. But listening to David Egan who said early pace was slow and they sprinted slightly takes the edge of the visual impact for me. His dam was a 70 rated handicapper who's produced some OK Flat and NH winners (her dam is better and family is Brian Boru, Eva Luna as you go back) but it's not the flashiest pedigree close up, unlike say Damysus.

The Lion in Winter just wasn't ready and I think AOB knew this full well but he was running out of time. The horse was edgy beforehand, pulled hard and then really wasn't knocked around by Ryan. I think Richard Hoiles is right in saying there isn't enough time to improve him between now and Epsom so I wonder if they will run him especially with Delacroix blossoming like he has plus the back-ups with the other Trials horses. However I could perfectly well see him coming out later in the season and being a very good horse so I wouldn't write him off yet.
 
A steady pace and sprint would not be ideal for either the winner or Damysus and I'd expect Epsom to suit them better and I don't think you can say that about Ruling Court or Delacroix who both have stamina question marks.
 
That’s the second time Damysus has come from far back and finished very strongly. He’ll win something decent as long as he’s not over-faced.
 
Can anyone provide me with a selection at York tomorrow, I have got a £2 free bet to use, and my system has failed to find me a horse to back there.
 
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