Best bets for Day One of the Dante Meeting at York
The Dante meeting at York gets underway on Wednesday on the Knavesmire. As has been the case it feels like for months the weather looks unsettled all week so it's probably advisable to leave any bets till the day this week as the going will likely change over the course of the three-day’s and who knows what sort of effect it may have on any draw bias over the meeting; there are three big field sprints on Wednesday and a seven-furlong race that of course starts on the spur but is effectively run up the straight. The going Wednesday morning is good, which is a change from the good-firm they were on Monday and Tuesday. There are showers forecast through the afternoon.
Best bets for the horse racing at York the Dante Meeting
I am not overly involved on the first day of the Dante Meeting. The race of the day is the Group Two 6f 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes at 3.15. We have a field of fifteen going to post and though it is considered there is no obvious draw bias at York with the weather so unpredictable we may see a preference as the week goes by; not a lot of help for today mind you. The pace does appear to be in the lower to middle stalls so the race may develop towards that side, though Art Power is in ten and will not be hanging about! The seven-year-old has finished sixth and eight on his previous two runs in this and does look likely to set it up for a closer again. Cold Case breaking out of one, Diligent Harry in three and Swingalong from stall nine won’t be hanging about either so I expect this to be run at a proper pace from the off. If the Azure Blue that won this race last year shows up she obviously has a chance, if the Azure Blue who finished down the field in the 6f G.1 July Cup Stakes at HQ shows up she won’t trouble the judge. Spycathcer ran some big races in top company last season and was perhaps unlucky not to win more than the twice he did. The six-year-old blow away the cobwebs after his winter break at HQ last month when a close third in the G.3 6f Abernant Stakes and this race may be run to suit. Breaking from stall two Ryan Moore should be able to slip in just behind the early pace before pushing his mount though late on; he does stay further so a strongly run six here could be perfect. I have the 11-2 this morning.
The 1m2½f Group Three Tattersalls Musidora Stakes for the three-year-old fillies is due off at 3.45. Won in the last three years by Snowfall, Emily Upjohn and Soul Sister it has simply proved to be THE trial for the three-year-old fillies in recent history. I had Classical Song penciled as a potential each-way bet here but with just the seven runners that makes a less enticing proposition now. Friendly Soul has headed the market since the bookies first priced-up. A winner on her sole start at two in a mile Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Kempton in December she started her three-year-old campaign taking the Listed 1m2f Pretty Polly Stakes at HQ nicely beating odds-on shot Kalpana. A George Strawbridge homebred she is by Kingman, out of the owners G.3 1m2f winning mare In Clover and a half-sister to seven winners including the owners G.1 mile Prix Rothschild winner With You. Connections would love to pick up as much black-type as possible with this one you would expect and she can win her first Group race here. I am on at 8-11.Be lucky