York May meeting: second day

Today´s card is the best of the 3 day York meeting, and even though there are very small fields in the two main features - 4 runners in the Group Two Middleton Stakes for older fillies and mares at 15.10 CET, and 5 runners in the Group Two Dante Stakes for 3yo´s - both over 10 furlongs - at 15.40 - in terms of quality both at excellent races. The Dante has a deserved reputation as the top Derby trial, and 3 of the last 6 winners went to to Epsom victory. Whatever happens today will almost certainly result in a change in the Derby odds, as the field includes 4 of the favourites (after St. Nicholas Abbey) for the classic. St. Nick is trained by Aidan O´Brien, who will no doubt be hoping that the unbeaten Cape Blanco (Johnny Murtagh) scores today to reinforce the position of his number one hope, but the O´Brien horses remain below form, as we saw again yesterday. Sir Michael Stoute´s Workforce (Ryan Moore) is 8-1 for Epsom, and this price will certainly contract sharply if he wi ns well today.

He has been the hyped-up Newmarket horse of the spring, but on form he needs to show much more than his easy victory in a Goodwood in a Goodwood maiden last September, his only race so far. On the other hand his trainer knows what is requited and has his string in top form. On ratings, he is well behind Chabal (Saeed bin Suroor/ Frankie Dettori), bought out of Jim Bolger´s stable before running poorly in the Dewhurst, but an easy winner of the Sandown Classic Trial last month, which looks smart form. It is years since Godolphin had a credible Derby candidate, but this could well be the one. Coordinated Cut (Michael Bell/ Jamie Spencer) is the big hope of the yard that sent out Motivator to win this race and then the Derby in 2005. He won a valuable sales race at Newmarket last time, despite being badly hampered.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Russian Spirit - Fathom Five - Fol Hollow
2. Race: Sariska - Midday - Flying Cloud
3. Race: Chabal - Workforce - Coordinated Cut
4. Race: Rainbow Peak - Acrostic - Balcarce Nov
5. Race: Tawaabb - Duchess Dora - Tomintoul Singer
6. Race: Juliet Capulet - Elzaam - Windward Islands
7. Race: Twist Again - Jeer - Dan Buoy