uk racing: Dante day at york

six meetings in the uk today with the dante card at york the best of them, Crowded house is too short for me in the dante ,Freemantle and kite wood have both been supported against him, Cecil horse Native Ruler can sneak into the money with fitness on his side as im never sure of the big stables willingness to get a horse ready first time up.

Medici pearl can run a race at a massive price in the Listed hadicap at 4.10

Need help today post your selections below



FOLKESTONE
Start:6.35pm
Good to firm, good in places (watered)
Dry overnight, possible light showers Thursday evening

LUDLOW
Start: 6.25pm
Good, good to firm in places (watered)
Dry overnight, chance of thundery showers

NEWMARKET
Start: 6.45pm
Good to firm
Overnight - 3mm of rain and chance of further rain during day

PERTH
Start: 3.00pm
Good, good to firm in places
Dry overnight. Sunny and windy forecast

SALISBURY
Start: 2.50pm
Firm, good to firm in places
Chance of early morning light rain and sharp showers as day progresses

YORK
Start: 2.40pm
Good, good to firm in places
No water applied Wednesday night, 8mm of rain. Further showers likely

Black Bear Island lands Dante in O'Brien one-two

Totesport.com Dante Stakes (Group 2) 1m2½f, 3yo colts and geldings, turf

BLACK BEAR ISLAND returned the 12-1 winner of the Dante Stakes with stablemate Freemantle in second, giving trainer Aidan O'Brien a one-two in the contest.

Coral reacted by cutting the brother to High Chaparral into 6-1 from 16 for the Investec Derby,while Boylesports also go 6-1 from 12. Coral and Paddy Power also make the unbeaten Fame And Glory, another Aidan O'Brien representative, their new 5-2 favourite for the race (from 11-4.)

Of the other firms, Victor Chandler went 8-1 from 20 for Black Bear Island, while Skybet now offer 7-1 from 25, with Bet 365 showing 9-1, also from 25.

Colm O'Donoghue was again the man of the moment, this time swooping late to nail Johnny Murtagh and Freemantle, winning by a head, with Sans Frontieres a further three parts of a length back in third.

After the field had left the stalls, it was Murtagh and Freemantle, a 13-2 shot, who went to take up the running, and the pair quickly established an advantage, turning for home clear of Kite Wood and Nehaam.

Murtagh increased the pace at the three-furlong pole, and despite the field fanning out across the track, no-one could get close enough to land a blow, including favourite Crowded House.

Jamie Spencer had been moving the Racing Post Trophy winner up the rail, but when push came to shove, he failed to deliver the turn of foot that had earmarked him as a leading Derby contender and eventually finished a disappointing eighth.

Winning jockey O'Donoghue said: "There was plenty of pace on through the race and he travelled really well.

"He really started to get going when I asked him in the final two furlongs and he picked up really well to lead on the line.

"Aidan told me to get him to switch off and relax and to let him enjoy himself through the race.

"What happens next will be up to Aidan, Mr Tabor, Mr Smith and Mr Magnier but I am just happy to have been riding him on the day."

It wasn't all good news for O'Donoghue, as he was handed a two day ban, May 27 and 28, for using his whip with excessive frequency and not giving his mount time to respnd.

Murtagh said of the runner-up: "He's run a great race, he just got tired in the last 100 yards, the ground was perfect for him."

Barry Simpson, racing manager to Sir Robert Ogden, was thrilled with Sans Frontieres' run in third, he said:

Trainer Brian Meehan


"That was a very pleasing run, it was nice to see him really stay on.

"He is still green and immature but I don't know yet what we will do with him now."

Despite his performance, the Derby still remains the target for Crowded House according to trainer Brian Meehan, who said:

"There was always a chance he might need the run, but possibly he needed it a little bit more than I thought. Jamie said he felt flat and didn't pick up how he can.

"As far as I'm concerned he's still going for the Derby, but we will have to take him back and see how he is."
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