YORKSHIRE-based trainer Kevin Ryan has the Betfred Dante Stakes (Thursday 18 May) as an early-season target for his exciting three-year-old, Syphax.
The colt, who was purchased by Godolphin during the off-season, is one of 84 entries for the richest ever renewal of the Group 2 contest which is widely recognised as the leading ‘trial’ for the Investec Derby. This year’s entry offers £165,000 in prize money so it is no surprise that it includes the top five in the betting for Epsom’s globally-renowned Classic.
Ten winners of the Betfred Dante – including Golden Horn, two years ago – have gone on to take the Blue Riband. The Knavesmire showcase also has a rich history of throwing up French and Irish Derby winners with Ryan himself responsible for The Grey Gatsby in 2014. The striking ‘grey’ followed up his home turf success with victory in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
Syphax was last seen winning the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, a Group 3 for two-year-olds staged at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival. He beat subsequent Royal Lodge Stakes winner Best Of Days and the pair could meet again at York on 18 May.
Ryan is reluctant to draw comparisons between Syphax and The Grey Gatsby but is hopeful that he has a high-class prospect on his hands.
He said: “We had planned to go straight to the Dante but the plan is now to run at Newcastle on 14 April in a conditions race. It will be good to get a run into him before going to York.
“He has done fantastically well over the winter and I am very happy with him. He obviously won the Acomb at the track and all being well he can go there in good shape.”
Godolphin are represented by 15 colts while the trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle team make up over a third of the initial entry with 29. Among them are current Qipco 2000 Guineas/ Investec Derby favourite and champion juvenile Churchill, as well as the highly regarded, War Decree.
Another intriguing ‘possible’ is Rivet, the colt landed his maiden victory at York last August and then won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, for Skipton born handler William Haggas. Fellow Newmarket trainer John Gosden, has won the last two renewals of the big race with the aforementioned Golden Horn (2015) and twelve months ago with Wings Of Desire. Among the master of Clarehaven’s eight entries for this year’s contest is Crowned Eagle, an Oasis Dream half-brother to Wings Of Desire, who ran out an emphatic winner of his maiden at Nottingham last November.
Gosden also looks to have a strong hand in the Betfred Middleton Stakes, the Group 2 that focuses on the fillies & mares on the second day of the Dante Festival (Thursday 18 May). Another contest that has seen prize money increase, a total of 23 horses have been entered in the £125,000 contest, run over the same extended ten furlongs as the Dante.
Gosden’s trio include Journey, the Group 1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares winner as well as So Mi Dar, who was an impressive winner over course and distance in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes last May.
The other Group 1 winners who could feature in the line-up are Breeders’ Cup heroine Queen’s Trust (Sir Michael Stoute) and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Seventh Heaven, who followed up her Darley Irish Oaks success with victory at York in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks of 2016.
Also among the entry is the defending champion, Beautiful Romance, who racked up the air miles following that success with a trip to Australia last autumn. The daughter of New Approach, owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, ran with credit in the Melbourne Cup. She then enjoyed success at Meydan this winter – scoring in Group 3 company.
The Dante Festival runs from Wednesday 17 May to Friday 19 May inclusive.
For tickets please call 01904 620911 x 225 or visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk<http://www.yorkracecourse.co.uk/>