Thursday

Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes (Group 2)

PRIDE Of Arras (Ralph Beckett/Rossa Ryan) threw his hat firmly into the ring for Epsom with a stylish win in the Group 2 Dante Stakes where odds-on favourite The Lion In Winter flopped. The 18/1 outsider defied inexperience to win on just his second career outing, to leave connections dreaming of classic glory next month.

Winner of a Sandown maiden last August, Pride Of Arras was also overcoming a lengthy absence but travelled very well, with Ryan’s only concern when having to wait for a gap early in the straight before the New Bay colt burst through to lead well over a furlong out and with none of his rivals able to respond to his turn of foot.

The verdict was a length and a quarter over runner-up Damysus (John & Thady Gosden/Kieran Shoemark) and it was a comfortable one.

Wimbledon Hawkeye (James Owen/Hector Crouch) ran well to be beaten three lengths in third, but The Lion In Winter was already in trouble when meeting trouble in the straight and could finish only sixth having raced freely.

“Pride Of Arras is not Westover,” said Ralph Beckett in the aftermath of this win. “He’s not Bluestocking. He doesn’t have the profile of those when it comes to pedigree. But he has more speed than Westover did and he’s a better work horse.

“It’s all in front of us, I hope. If he handles Epsom, which I think he will, and he handles the jamboree, which based on today I think he will, we’ve every right to think he’s going there to be competitive. What happens after that, who knows?”

Fire burns brightly

See The Fire (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) was beaten on her return in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown, but any question that the light had dimmed since last season was put to bed with a storming performance in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes for fillies and mares, with the Strensall Stakes winner spreadeagling her rivals to win by 12 lengths.

It was a case of See The Fire first, the rest nowhere, but the record books will show that Beautiful Love (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) won the race for second place, a neck in front of Royal Dress (James Tate/Ben Coen).

The 8/11 favourite, See The Fire was all the rage in the betting and in the race itself, with Oisin Murphy clearly holding a double handful before easing the market leader to the front two furlongs out and she was relentless from that point, looking as if she could have won by even further if driven right out.

In the end it was only hands and heels from Murphy as his mount cruised clear for a facile success. She will head to the Nassau Stakes next, a race she was narrowly beaten in last year.

“We’ve always had a very high opinion of See The Fire, and she’s improved since last year,” said Andrew Balding. “We were a little disappointed with her run at Sandown, but she probably needed it as she travelled well but didn’t quite get home.

“She’s a very exciting horse. We always fancied going back for the Nassau as she was second in it last year and that’s the primary objective. If that goes well, we might consider coming back here in August [for the International].

“We made a bit of a balls of campaigning her last year when not stepping up in trip until it was too late. She obviously relishes this trip. She really found her feet after her Eclipse run last year and ran really well on Champions Day, having had a busy season. There’s lots of look forward to.”

Balding and Murphy double up

The Listed Westow Stakes over five furlongs saw Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy complete a double on the York card with Tropical Storm, the Eqtidaar colt pouncing late to grab longtime leader Star Of Mehmas (Richard Hughes/Ryan Moore) to win by a head. Only sixth in the Palace House Stakes on his return earlier in the month, Tropical Storm was producing a career-best effort in victory despite an awkward start. This was a second listed win over track and trip following his victory in the Julia Graves Roses Stakes here in August.

Andrew Balding was sure that Royal Ascot would be next for the winer, but was mulling over choices, saying: “We’ve got options at Ascot and we’ve got to see if we chance Tropical Storm over six furlongs [in the Commonwealth Cup] or go against the older horses over five in the King Charles III Stakes.

“It’s a nice problem to have. One of those races will be his next target.”

Wednesday

Duke of York Clipper Stakes (Group 2)

THE 2024 Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin (Kevin Ryan/Ryan Moore) looked better than ever when landing the Group 2 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York on Wednesday, and put himself in line for a crack at the best sprinters in the world in the Queen Elizabeth III Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

Sent off a well-backed 11/8 favourite, Inisherin raced in touch before improving to lead a furlong out.

He was pushed hard in that final furlong but responded well to push back the challenge of Flora Of Bermuda (Andrew Balding/P.J. McDonald) to win by a neck, with early leader Night Raider (Karl Burke/Oisin Murphy) beaten four lengths in third, a neck in front of stablemate Elite Status.

Inisherin was disappointing in the July Cup and British Champions Sprint in the second half of 2024 but – having had wind surgery since last seen – he was back to his best to take this Group 2 prize.

Flora Of Bermuda had to wait for a gap before throwing down her challenge and also ran up to her best while offering more for the future. Night Raider showed blistering speed and may prove best dropping back to five furlongs on this showing.

Not straightforward

Kevin Ryan explained that this victory was not straightforward, saying: “We lost a month with Inisherin when we realised we had a bit of an issue [with his wind] and with the weather and the ground, we couldn’t get a racecourse gallop into him. Things were stacking up against us.

“Thankfully he’s working a lot more relaxed. He’s a year older and a big colt, and he’ll go straight to Ascot now. Ryan was going to jump and be positive, but it actually worked out well for us.

“He was to keep half-filling him up - if he’d have gone with him, he may have lost by two lengths at the end. We know what Ryan is, he’s brilliant. I said to him as always what he does is right.

“He ran well in the Guineas and has lots of speed. I wouldn’t be against coming here for the upgraded Group 1 [City of York Stakes] later this year as I’d like to support it.”

Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Group 3)

AS had been the case at Chester and Lingfield, the first of the Epsom trials at York was dominated by Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore with Whirl stepping up on her underwhelming return in the Park Express Stakes at the Curragh to land the Group 3 Musidora at odds of 7/2.

Always handy, Whirl forged on over three furlongs out and kept going too strongly for her rivals, passing the post five and a half lengths ahead of Serenity Prayer (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy), who had a neck in hand over Go Go Boots (John and Thady Gosden/Kieran Shoemark) at the line.

Only sixth when favourite for the Park Express over a mile five weeks ago, Whirl showed improved form to enhance her own and her stable’s Oaks prospects, and she is bracketed in the betting for the Epsom classic with Cheshire Oaks winner Minnie Hauk at around 8/1.

She is also entered in the Prix de Diane and seemed to relish the step up to an extended 10 furlongs here, and the Diane is over a similar trip.

Part-owner Michael Tabor seemed to favour the French classic, saying: “As Ryan said to me before the race, that was the plan to bump Whirl out, get a good position and if they caught her then so be it.

“I don’t think anybody expected that particularly. But Aidan seems to be able to do that, as we know. I don’t think that Whirl is an Oaks filly, I think she’d probably get a mile and a half but a mile and a quarter in something like the Prix Diane would be more suitable, I think; I haven’t discussed it with Derrick or John or Aidan - that’s just my thinking.”

Friday

Boodles Yorkshire Cup (Group 2)

THE Group 2 Yorkshire Cup on Friday went the way of top-rated Rebel’s Romance (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) although the winner had to prove his stamina with his previous winning form coming at up to a mile and a half.

Normally a front-runner, he raced in second place here until taking over from Continuous over a furlong out, and he then withheld the late challenge of Epic Poet (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope) to score by a head. The winner and second raced on the near side of the track in the home straight, while the pace-setting Continuous stayed on the far side, eventually finishing last of the five runners.

Appleby said on Racing TV of the winner, who has a Coronation Cup entry at Epsom: “He’s an honour to us all and you wouldn’t mind half a dozen like him.

“We thought let’s just try him over an extended trip – for him anyway - and we can look at options then, races like the Goodwood Cup. I often think that when they go steady, and it turns into a sprint, they all hold a little bit of a chance then.

“He’s relentless and loves to dig in when he has to.”

Big winner for Adrian Keatley

Secret Hideaway (Adrian Keatley/P J McDonald) provided a 33/1 surprise in the Listed Clipper EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes.

Runner-up on debut at Ripon, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was held up in the early stages before coming with a strong run to lead inside the last furlong, beating market leaders Harry’s Girl (Richard Hannon/Tom Marquand) and Love Olivia (Karl Burke/David Egan) by half a length and three-parts of a length. “I ran Secret Hideaway at Ripon to educate her on the undulations over a sharp five furlongs,” said Adrian Keatley. “She’ll have no bother staying six furlongs, maybe even seven in time. She will improve loads as the year goes on.

“I’ll speak to the owners (Paul Shanahan) and Royal Ascot is the obvious place to go, either the Queen Mary or the Albany. She has a brilliant temperament; she’s very laid back.”