Plenty of rain on the Knavesmire means that Day 2 of the Dante meeting is likely to be run on soft ground. It’s the big Derby trail with the Dante itself taking the lead role today but there’s also a very good Listed handicap, the Hambleton, to get involved in.
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3.30 York: The Dante
This doesn’t look the strongest Dante in history by any means and there’s a few in with chances. The market is headed by Cracksman who won at Epsom last time out but this more conventional track is a different kettle of fish whilst Crystal Ocean is the talking horse and hasn’t done enough to be getting too heavily involved at under 5/1.
Benbati has an excellent shout but has yet to prove himself over this trip whilst a recent setback for Exemplar doesn’t inspire confidence. Instead, we are siding with the other Irish challenger.
Rekindling – Ran well in 2 maidens last year before disappointing in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud but he’s hard to oppose on the basis of his last run in the Group 3 Ballysax in Ireland.
He raced over this trip on easy ground and won in impressive style beating Douglas Macarthur, Yucatan and Capri who have since finished 1-2-3 in the Derrinstown Derby Trial. To say the form has been franked would be an understatement. In the Ballysax, he travelled really well and the result wasn’t in much doubt once he hit the front. This race is usually a good pointer with previous winners including Galileo, High Chaparral and Harzand.
He has won on soft ground and is entered up in all the big races this year. He certainly looks to have a big future and is taken to follow in the footsteps of previous winners of the Group 3 Ballysax.
Tips
Back Rekindling (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 7.50 Bet365 BOG (¼ 1-3)
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4.05 York
A Listed handicap around the turning mile here at York with 19 expected to face the starter on what is currently soft ground. There’s a number of horses who could take a hand in this race but it’s probably best to focus on hardy handicapper’s who have a genuinely liking for soft ground. There are 2 such types that interest us.
Donncha – He’s definitely a horse that has paid for his consistency with his last win 2 years ago off a mark of 92 and yet he races off 100 today. However, during that time, he’s finished 2nd in the Spring Mile, 5th in this last year, 3rd in the Betfred Mile and 3rd in the Lincoln amongst other good runs.
He was mightily unlucky in the Lincoln having been given the worst of the draw and ran another solid race in the Spring Cup last time out when not getting the best of runs on ground too lively. Today, there’s a change of jockey and he exits from a decent stall in 8.
He loves big field handicaps and is better on soft ground over this trip. His handicap form over 1 mile on ground with soft in the description, with a double figure field and a handicap mark no higher than today’s reads a very impressive 1/13, 4/20, 2/21, 0/28, 2/15 and 3/22. The only real failure amongst those was at Ascot where he stumbled exiting the stalls.
He’s started this season off running well in top handicaps and it’s very likely he will go well again with conditions in his favour.
Instant Attraction – At a bigger price, Instant Attraction has a similar profile and is always seen to good effect on this sort of ground. He’s another with a decent draw and has a falling mark in his favour. He has been dropped to 97, which is back to mark he ran off when 2nd in the Thirsk Hunt Cup 12 months ago.
This season, he’s been seen once finishing 11th in the Lincoln, running well from an average draw. That was on good to soft and even that is probably too lively for him. Despite not winning since 2016, he has a good chance if the ground stays soft and all previous form on soft supports that.
His 2 career wins have come on soft ground and his other 3 runs on this ground since those wins have seen him finish 3rd in last season’s Spring Mile (1 place behind Donncha) off 95, 2nd in that Thirsk race off this mark and 7th of 28 in the Royal Hunt Cup off a mark 2lb higher than today’s.
The ground is absolutely key and he should outrun his current odds.
Tips
Back Donncha (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 10.00 William Hill BOG (¼ odds 1-4)
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Back Instant Attraction (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 23.00 Paddy Power BOG (¼ odds 1-4)
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