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There will be further clues for next month’s Epsom Classics, with this week’s Group 2 Dante so often a stepping-stone for Classic glory in the first week in June while old faces such as last year’s Champion European Sprinter Highfield Princess return to the track.
With the York Dante meeting set to kick off on Wednesday, Sam King gives us five horses to watch over the three-day meeting…
La Yakeel
Race: Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap (Wednesday 1.50)
Trainer: William Haggas
Yorkshireman William Haggas often targets this meeting and looks to have a whole host of interesting contenders scattered throughout the week. However, it's La Yakeel that really catches the eye in the opener on day one for connections that know this race, oh so well.
The Somerville Lodge team have landed York's Dante meeting opener for the last two years courtesy of owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, who's also responsible for La Yakeel. It looks significant this horse makes his seasonal reappearance in this contest and it would be no surprise were connections to enjoy a third-straight success in the opening 1m4f handicap.
He looked progressive at three and finished off his season with a solid effort in the 1m4f Old Rowley Cup (Heritage Handicap) at Newmarket in October. There should be further improvement on the cards from him this season and he could be the type of horse you see back on the Knavesmire come August with the Ebor likely to be in mind.
Infinite Cosmos
Race: Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Wednesday 3.35)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute
For those of you that read the QIPCO Guineas Festival five to follow you'll know just how sweet I was on Infinite Cosmos, and you'll be hardly surprised to see her feature once more.
Sir Michael Stoute is no stranger to Musidora success having saddled Liber Nauticus to land the Group 3 contest in 2013 before going on to finish a credible fifth at Epsom and I'm certainly hopeful Infinite Cosmos can emulate the first part of that journey.
The form of her debut second worked out well with the reopposing Sea Of Rose going on to finish runner-up in the Group 3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud on her next start and she duly got off the mark at Newmarket on reappearance twelve days ago. The half-sister to Traila hit the line strong once climbing up the Rowley Mile and she looks the perfect model of horse for York's long galloping straight.
The extra half-furlong on offer here will be right up her street and it would be no shock were she to land this en route to Epsom Oaks victory.
Free Wind
Race: Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes (Thursday 2.25)
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Clarehaven Stables have won this with some smart horses in recent years including Coronet in 2018 and La Ti Dah just a year later. The former went on to Group 1 glory later in her career and although Free Wind returns to the track at the age of five connections will surely have top-level success on their mind.
The daughter of Galileo did well to come out on top in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks on her only start last season having been hampered badly at the two-furlong marker. A rating of 115 and no 3lb penalty puts her comfortably clear at the weights at York this week and the John & Thady Gosden-trained mare can take this and make up for last year's lost time.
Cuban Thunder
Race: Frank Whittle Partnership EBFstallions.com Maiden Stakes (Thursday 4.45)
Trainer: Dominic Ffrench Davis
AMO Racing have made a brilliant start to the season with their two-year-olds, and Cuban Thunder would have gone into just about every notebook under the sun when an eye-catching second at Newmarket on debut.
Having been slowly away and green in the early stages it was probably a testament to his raw ability that he managed to finish second to a promising Blue Point Colt in the shape of Blue Storm. The son of Profitable lost at least a handful of lengths coming out of the stalls on debut and would almost certainly have been things interesting if getting away on terms.
It's interesting that connections won this maiden last year with Queen Olly, who went on to finish fourth in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, and although that race is obviously out of the equation for this colt, a trip to the Berkshire venue come June could certainly be on the cards if shedding his maiden on the Knavesmire this week.
Knockbrex
Race: Collective Green Energy Handicap (Thursday 5.20)
Trainer: Charlie Johnston
Mark Johnston trained the winner of this three times on the bounce between 2018-2021 and his son Charlie looks to have an interesting contender in the shape of Knockbrex as he attempts to follow in his father's footsteps.
Having held an entry in the Lingfield Derby trial last weekend connections of Knockbrex must think plenty of him. He looked an out-and-out galloper when making all to land his maiden at Pontefract on reappearance and probably bumped into a smart type when second at Haydock last start.
He looks just the type of horse that will suit 1m4f at York and an opening handicap mark of 90 may well underestimate his ability. Last year's winner Al Qareem went on to finish fourth in the Group 2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot on the back of this and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Royal meeting could be on the agenda for this son of Ulysses given he holds an entry in the King Edward VII Stakes next month.