Derby Test in the Dante Stakes

York, Thursday 12 May: The Festival at York continues today with a seven-race card. The Dante Stakes (4th race/16.35pm/175,000 pounds/2063m) is the second Group 2 race of the day and is aimed at horses of Derby vintage.

Desert Crown (Richard Kingscote), from Sir Michael Stoute`s quarters, is highly rated after winning his only appearance to date as a two-year-old at Nottingham and meeting all expectations. Magisterial (Frankie Dettori) is also highly rated. The Gosden protégé recently won at Leicester and recommended himself for bigger tasks. El Bodegon (Daniel Muscutt), on the other hand, is already a classic winner. With his triumph in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, he reached the peak of his career for the time being. Bluegrass (Ryan Moore) was somewhat in the picture in the Ballysax Stakes (Group 3) when he finished fourth. He is just as likely to surprise as Royal Patronage (Jason Hart), who did not finish higher than eighth in the 2000 Guineas. Masekela (Jason Watson) deserves a mention, as do this year`s winners White Wolf (Daniel Tudhope), Kingmax (Rossa Ryan) and Dark Moon Rising (Kevin Stott).