Ballydoyle pair in Dante

AIDAN O’Brien has entered Royal Dornoch and Cormorant in next Thursday’s rescheduled Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dante Stakes at York. Royal Dornoch won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes last season but was well-beaten in both the 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes this year.

Cormorant defeated Russian Emperor when winning the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown.

Sir Michael Stoute’s unbeaten colt Highest Ground is among 10 entries. The Niarchos family-owned son of a Frankel won his only outing at Leicester as a two-year-old and impressed on his seasonal debut when lowering the colours of the highly-regarded Waldkonig at Haydock.

Also on Thursday’s nine-race card at York is the Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes. Owner Khalid Abdullah has three of the 13 entries: the John Gosden-trained Franconia and Ricetta plus Roger Charlton’s Pocket Square.

Manduro dies of heart attack

MANDURO, one of the best German-bred horses of all time, died of a heart attack last Saturday at Darley’s Haras du Logis in France. The 18-year-old horse began his stallion career at Kildangan Stud before moving to Dalham Hall in Newmarket and then to France.

The son of Monsun was owned by Baron Georg von Ullmann and was originally trained in Germany by Peter Schiergen before being transferred to André Fabre as a four-year-old. He won three Group 1 races as a five-year-old in 2005 and was favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before injury struck and he was retired.

At stud he has sired 35 stakes winners, headed by the top stayer Vazirabad.

Keeneland Phoenix Stakes entries

ROYAL Ascot winners Dandalla, Nando Parrado, Tactical and The Lir Jet are among the 42 entries for the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday, August 9th. Leading Irish-trained entries include recent Gain First Flier Stakes winner Frenetic, Admiral Nelson, Lucky Vega, More Beautiful, Military Style and Poetic Flare.