Tag Archive for: Dante Stakes

Passenger out of luck on the Knavesmire – but not out of Derby picture

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Passenger may yet throw his hat into the Derby ring after running with immense promise in defeat in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

It was hard to know what the Ulysses colt had achieved in beating a field of fellow newcomers in the Wood Ditton at Newmarket, but it appeared significant connections decided him to supplement him for a Derby trial Sir Michael Stoute had already won on a record seven occasions, with Desert Crown doing the double just last season.

Punters on the Knavesmire ultimately agreed, with Passenger the 9-2 favourite by the time the gates opened. But what followed was a tale of woe for his supporters.

Ridden by Richard Kingscote, the Niarchos family-owned runner appeared to be travelling all over his rivals halfway up the home straight, but he could not find a gap for love nor money.

By the time Passenger did get a run, it was all too late, but there was much to like about the way he stayed on to dead-heat for third with Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous, beaten just a couple of lengths by eventual winner The Foxes.

While brief in his assessment of the performance, Kingscote immediately blamed himself, saying: “It was my fault, I couldn’t get him a run. It’s very frustrating.”

A decision on whether Stoute and the Niarchos family will roll the dice at Epsom on June 3 is made more complicated by the fact Passenger is not entered, meaning the owners will again have to stump up a supplementary fee, with the price for adding him to the Derby set at £85,000.

Paddy Power were impressed enough by his performance to make him an 8-1 shot like The Foxes, though, and connections ultimately have a couple of weeks to mull it over.

Sir Michael Stoute at York on Wednesday
Sir Michael Stoute at York on Wednesday (Mike Egerton/PA)

Stoute was not on the Knavesmire, but his assistant James Savage said: “It was a bit of a hard-luck story.

“He was in the stalls a long time, he jumped well and did everything brilliantly for a horse having only his second start after running on a straight mile at Newmarket.

“There’s a lot of positives to be taken out of the race. It didn’t happen for Richard up the straight, but that’s just one of those things.”

Interestingly, the only previous horse to be beaten in the Dante and win the Derby was the Stoute-trained Workforce in 2010.

When asked whether Passenger could bid to emulate the subsequent Arc hero, Savage added: “That is going to be a decision for Sir Michael and the Niarchos family. All I can say is that we’ve learnt he’s able to compete at a very high level with the best three-year-olds.

“I’m not so sure experience got him beat because if the gap had come he would have gone through it.

“He’s took a massive step forward from Newmarket to here and we’ll just see how he is.”

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the owners, said: “I’m afraid he didn’t have the clearest of runs, but it was a great improvement from his first start, so let’s get home and see what Sir Michael would like to do.

“He’s shown that he’s a good horse on only his second start. Let’s regroup.

“The family will follow Sir Michael’s advice.”

White Birch (left) is narrowly beaten by The Foxes in the Dante Stakes at York
White Birch (left) is narrowly beaten by The Foxes in the Dante Stakes at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Splitting The Foxes and the third-placed pair of Passenger and Continuous was John Murphy’s Irish raider White Birch.

Winner of a heavy ground Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his seasonal bow, the grey proved he is equally effective on quicker conditions, charging home from the rear to be beaten only a neck.

Another son of Ulysses, White Birch does hold a Derby entry and appears bound for Epsom. He is 20-1 with Coral.

George Murphy, assistant to his father, said: “He ran a super race, quickened up really well and just bumped into one on the day, but we couldn’t be happier with the run.

“I think the horse himself thought he had it won and the winner just came from out of his vision, but we’re delighted.

“He’s a super mover and a big, powerful horse – ground doesn’t seem to bother him.

“We’ll take him home and see how he comes out of it, but I think he’s more entitled to take his chance in the Derby now. If the owners are happy to go there and he comes out of it well, I think he definitely deserves a crack at it.”

Flying Honours out to state Derby claims in Dante

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Flying Honours will take on 11 rivals as he tries to forward his Betfred Derby claims in Thursday’s Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

Stablemate Military Order is to the fore in the Epsom betting following his Lingfield victory last week and Flying Honours looked a potential Classic contender when winning the 10-furlong Zetland Stakes on his final juvenile start last year.

Canberra Legend makes the switch to Group Two company after an impressive start to his career, winning each of his two starts this term, firstly on the all-weather at Newcastle in February before making a seamless switch to Listed level in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket for James Ferguson.

Passenger represents Sir Michael Stoute
Passenger represents Sir Michael Stoute (Tim Goode/PA)

Sir Michael Stoute won the Dante with subsequent Epsom hero Desert Crown last term and this time he relies on Passenger, winner of the Wood Ditton on his only start to date. The son of Ulysses is not currently entered in the Derby, however.

Epictetus already has one Derby trial win under his belt after scoring in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom last month and he represents John and Thady Gosden, while The Foxes switches up in trip for Andrew Balding after finishing second in the Craven on his reappearance.

Aidan O’Brien relies on French Group Three winner Continuous, who is unbeaten in two starts so far, with the John Murphy-trained White Birch enhancing the Irish challenge after his narrow Ballysax Stakes verdict last time out.

Charlie Johnston is double-handed with Newcastle Listed winner Dear My Friend and likely outsider Killybegs Warrior with Roger Teal’s Dancing Magic, the Karl Burke-trained Liberty Lane and King Of Steel, who will be making his first start for Roger Varian completing the line up.

Free Wind makes her first start of the year at York
Free Wind makes her first start of the year at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Free Wind makes her long-awaited return to action for the Gosden team in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes on the same card.

The five-year-old won the Lancashire Oaks on her only start last term, sustaining an injury when she was badly hampered but still managing to recover and secure the victory.

Eight runners go to post with Varian’s Toksana Belle an interesting contender on her British bow having landed last year’s German Oaks when trained by Andreas Wohler.

Ferguson eager to assess Canberra’s Classic claims

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James Ferguson is excited to see whether Canberra Legend can book his Derby ticket in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

After justifying odds-on favouritism on his racecourse debut at Newcastle in February, the Australia colt successfully stepped up to Listed class in last month’s Feilden Stakes at Newmarket.

The three-year-old is a 14-1 shot for the Betfred Derby at Epsom on June 3 with the sponsors and Ferguson is hopeful he can enhance his claims on the Knavesmire on Thursday.

“He’s a joy to train and like a lot of Australia’s (progeny) he has a very good mind,” the Newmarket handler said on Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme.

“For us he’s very exciting. He’s done his final piece of work and hopefully we can get there (York) in one piece and enjoy the day.”

Connections went to 350,000 guineas to purchase Canberra Legend as a yearling and Ferguson revealed it did not take him long to realise he could be a bit special.

He added: “It’s no secret that Mr Ho (owner) spent a lot of money to buy this horse and I was very grateful he decided to send the horse to me.

Trainer James Ferguson at York
Trainer James Ferguson at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

“We realised pretty soon when he came to the yard that he had a bit of presence about him. He was a big two-year-old and was never going to be a sharp, early type.

“You have this horse in your yard and you hope to God that he’s as good as you think he is. More often than not it doesn’t go so well, but when he won at Newcastle it was a relief.

“Stepping up from a novice to a Listed race is quite a big step, but I didn’t want to fit in another novice with a penalty on the all-weather and we had confidence in the horse.

“The Feilden Stakes is a proven race for good horses, it seemed a good option, we took our chance and thank God it went right.”

Having been pleased with his colt since his Newmarket triumph, Ferguson admits he will need to put up a big show at York if he is to head to Epsom.

He said: “I’ve given him two pieces of work since, he’s worked on the Limekilns and he’s worked on the Al Bahathri (gallops). Michael Hills sat on him both times and having ridden well over a thousand winners, he knows what he’s doing.

“Being realistic, I think to go to Epsom, with the trials that we’ve seen so far, I’d like to see him run well (at York).

“The most important thing is that he comes back safe and sound, we know we’ve got a good horse and whatever happens in the Dante he’s won a very good trial in the Feilden.

“I would like to see him win or place well to enable us to go to Epsom, if not we’ll think about going to France (French Derby) or straight to Ascot.”