York May meeting: second day

The York meeting continues with the Dante Stakes at 15.45 CET the main event. This is normally the best Derby trial in the U.K. and 3 of the last 10 winners have gone on to win at Epsom, while Workforce, runner-up here, won the Derby and the Arc. The weather is now much better and the ground is drying out, which means that the doubtful runners are all likely to run. They include the hot favourite True Story (Saeed bin Suroor/ Kieren Fallon), who needs decent ground. The Manduro colt was most impressive when winning the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket and a repeat of that form would see him home here. The news that Fallon has the ride - both here and in the Derby, for which he is currently second favourite, has caused some raised eyebrows - but the veteran is in excellent form and won the top race here yesterday. The Grey Gatsby (Kevin Ryan/ Ryan Moore) is second top-rated, but in all honesty we cannot see him with much of a chance here. The most likely runners to bustle up True Story are Arod (Peter Chapple-Hyam/ Jamie Spencer) and Bunker (Richard Hannon/ Frankie Dettori), both Qatari-owned. It is a long time since Chapple-Hyam won a big race - in fact since Authorized brought off the Dante-Derby double in 2007 - but this one was a very easy maiden winner last time and worth a try in this grade, while Bunker has not run since August, when he narrowly defeated subsequent Group One and classic winner Karakontie at Deauville. Obviously that is good form, but True Story looks the goods and we hope he scores here.

Classic form is also well represented in the main supporting feature, the Middleton Stakes for fillies and mares, also over 10 furlongs, at 15.15. Our selection Secret Gesture (Ralph Beckett/ Spencer) was runner-up in both the Epsom and German Oaks last year. In theory she has a tough task against Thistle Bird (Roger Charlton/ Dettori), who was a close third in the Prix de l´Opera to Dalkala, who won this last year, while she finished last, but the Beckett stable is in such good form, especially the fillies, that we give her preference. Ambivalent (Roger Varian/ Andrea Atzeni) ran a great race in the Sheema Classic to finish third and cannot be discounted, but we are hoping to see Secret Gesture win here.

The other black type race is the listed handicap over a mile at 16.15. This looks very tricky and many of these have met before- including here, as Fury (William Haggas/ Ryan Moore) won this race in 2012 and Navajo Chief (Alan Jarvis/ Fallon) last year; both could be involved again, as can Prince of Johanne (Tom Tate/ Graham Lee), runner-up on both occasions, while Tales of Grimm (Richatrd Fahey/& Tony Hamilton) looks a big danger.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Ashpan Sam - Ballesteros - Desert Law
2. Race: Thistle Bird - Secret Gesture - Mango Diva
3. Race: Bunker - Arod - The Grey Gatsby
4. Race: Spa`S Dancer - Fort Bastion - Ingleby Angel
5. Race: Justice Day - Ambiance - Shamshon
6. Race: Silver Ranger - Gaudy - Bossy Guest
7. Race: Cape Tribulation - Calculated Risk - Albert Bridge