York Thursday review & free video replays including the Dante Stakes

Economics routs Dante rivals

Economics (6/1) was recently taken out of the Derby but routed his rivals in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes, a race known as a leading trial for Epsom.

Trainer William Haggas is adamant that connections will not be tempted to change plans but may have second thoughts after watching his colt run out a six length winner of the famous Group Two.

Settled towards the rear of the field in the extended 10 furlong contest as God’s Window and Caviar Heights cut out the running, he was pulled out to challenge on the outside of Cambridge and quickly asserted under Tom Marquand.

Race favourite Ancient Wisdom was doing his best work in the closing stages and chased the winner home with War Rooms third.

“Pretty spectacular to be honest,” Marquand told ITV Racing.

“He got a beautiful trip round at the back of William (Buick). I closed up because Ryan (Moore) kept William in a pocket and I thought I’d follow suit and do the same. I half lit his fuse to just keep the race locked down where it was and he was up and away in three strides and then I was trying to hold on until inside the two.

“For an inexperienced horse he was fast through it and he’s very talented. Really impressed with the horse.”

When asked about the possibility of stepping up to a mile and a half, Marquand replied: “My overwhelming feeling at Newbury was a mile and a quarter but he wasn’t stopping at the line.”

Maureen Haggas said: “We’ve always liked him. At Newbury he looked a nice horse and he looked like he probably would get a mile and a quarter and although this is quite a step up from what he’s done, he still, I thought, looked pretty babyish in the closing stages and was rolling about a bit but he was impressive.”

It will cost £75,000 to supplement Economics for the Derby and Haggas didn’t conclusively rule that out, adding: “That’s to sort out between William and Sheikh Isa and Jake Warren and also see how the horse is. We took him out because we didn’t think he’d stay and I’m still not sure he would.

“In my opinion he has the ability and the quality to be that (Derby) class but whether he’s got the……Epsom is a very tricky track and he’s a very big horse. In the closing stages there he looked like a big baby; all options are open but we need to consider carefully what we do next.”

Paddy Power cut Economics from 33/1 to 8/1 for the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), run over 10 furlongs at Chantilly on 2nd June.

Marquand, successful in the opener (see below), completed a treble when partnering Big Evs (4/7 favourite) to a cosy success in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Westow Stakes.

The relatively unconsidered winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot last year went on to prove that was no fluke when adding Group 3 and Group 2 victories to his tally before recording a famous victory for his small yard in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Big Evs proved that he was not just a sharp juvenile with this one and a half length defeat of Sommelier to the satisfaction of trainer Mick Appleby who said: “We’d left a bit on him so he’s not come here fully primed and he’s going to come on for that.

“We already said we’d probably miss the Temple Stakes at Haydock and go straight to Royal Ascot with him. We obviously tried the Nunthorpe with him here last year as a two-year-old and it didn’t work out, but I think we’d probably like to try again.

“Going from two to three you never really know until you get them out there, but he was still showing us the signs at home and he’s gone and done it on the track now, so he’s still got it there.

“It will be the King’s Stand (King Charles III Stakes) next I think.”

Marquand added: “He’s such a cool little character.

“He was a little bit fresh beforehand as we saw in the paddock. He canters down, the coolest of customers, walks around the gates and as soon as someone picks him up he comes alive and gets a bit fresh again.

“He got a bit fractious in the gates which isn’t him so freshness was the talk, showing his wellbeing, more just a little bit of rust than anything but I was always confident and he’s an elite sprinter.”

Sky Bet cut Big Evs to 4/1 (from 5s) for the King Charles III Stakes (formerly the King’s Stand Stakes) at Royal Ascot.

Bluestocking stars in Middleton

Bluestocking (5/2) ran out an impressive winner of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes.

William Buick appeared to set steady fractions aboard Sapphire Seas in the extended 10 furlong Group 2 and although last year’s winner Free Wind and Infinite Cosmos looked threatening when pulled out to challenge, both were left floundering when Buick upped the tempo.

Bluestocking, though, had every move covered and moved alongside the leader still under a tight hold from jockey Rossa Ryan and when Ryan asked her to go and win the race, the response was immediate with the Camelot filly quickly putting daylight between herself and the field, winning by six lengths from favourite Free Wind.

The winner, trained by Ralph Beckett, had only won a novice (on debut) from seven starts but had shown high-class form, including when a close second in the Irish Oaks and left her jockey impressed.

He was not the only one as bookmakers Paddy Power cut Bluestocking to 8/1 (from 12s) for the Coronation Cup at Epsom; Sky Bet are 7/1 from the same price.

The Coronation Cup is in the equation according to Beckett who said: “It’s a possibility, it’s quite soon. We’ll have a think and see how she comes out of it.

“We put the cheekpieces on for her last start last year but perhaps she’s just come of age this year. I always think cheekpieces are a halfway house and I don’t think she’ll always need them. I think she was just full of confidence today and he rode her that way and I think that helped.

“I thought she looked well at home all week, saddling her I thought she could have looked better but I put the tack on her and suddenly she woke up and it’s all come together.”

Ryan added: “She’s a big filly and she loves a bit of dig in the ground and there is still a bit of ease there.

“We always thought last year that this year she’d be better again. We tried the cheekpieces last year because she just pulled herself up one day in Chester but today she’s really set and figured things out and I think she’s a filly that’s going to be on the up.

“Her work at home would clarify that she should be held in high regard and I think it’s only this year she’s starting to prove that we can have a bit of a dream with her.”

Point Lynas (6/1) set some quick fractions en route to victory in the Oakmere Homes Hambleton Handicap.

As his nearest pursuers wilted in the straight, racegoers might have expected the closers to sweep past Point Lynas in turn but Ed Bethell’s charge kept finding for Callum Rodriguez and found enough to repel a strong challenge from Northern Express.

The pair – who finished second and third in last year’s renewal – were separated by a head.

They were followed home by two of David O’Meara’s four runners, Bopedro and Blue For You, with La Trinidad fifth and Al Mubhir sixth.

Point Lynas wasn’t winning out of turn having finished second on all three starts over course and distance and the winning handler said: “He deserves a nice one like this and delighted for the horse.

“He just has one way of going and if you can get a breather into him like Callum did, he’ll go again for you; he’s as hard as nails. Delighted for the owners and Liam who rides him every day has done a great job on him.

“He was a class-dropper, he ran in a Group Three last time out but I’d say that was a career-best. We’ll probably look at something better than a handicap, I’d say we’d have to now but Ascot is not really his track, you can’t really make the running there.”

Clarendon House (8/1) came home strongly to deny Value Bet selection Looking For Lynda (15/2) in the Lindum York Handicap.

The runner-up was advised at 18/1 by Matt Brocklebank and hopes were high when Looking For Lynda hit the front inside the final distance having taken up the lead from the well backed Tees Spirit.

It wasn’t to be, though, as Clarendon House swept past on his outside to win the five furlong heat by a length and a quarter.

Spartan Arrow and Korker completed the places. Tees Spirit held on for fifth with Bergerac sixth and Jm Jungle seventh.

The winner was ridden by Marquand who was still ‘sore’ after a fall on the Knavesmire yesterday.

“We got the dream run in,” he said. “Turning in off a strong pace and he was pretty electric to go and pick the race up; he did it a little bit quicker than I thought he might to be perfectly honest.

“He’s had some good runs this year and his form at Southwell lined up with Diligent Harry from the Group 2 yesterday. He’s a high-class horse and obviously Robert Cowell (trainer) loves a sprinter.”

Tom Palin, racing manager for owners Middleham Park Racing, said: “I didn’t think it was going anywhere near to plan to be honest, he’s normally in the front rank but Tom said he gave him a great feel and they were clearly going plenty quick enough.

“The pace has has sort of collapsed in front of him, Tom’s timed it really well and he’s seen it out really well. He’s kind of coasted home in the end and the only worry was whether the gods were shining on us at York – after two seconds yesterday, I couldn’t celebrate until he was past the line.

“He’s clearly a very fast horse and it will probably the Epsom Dash next. I guess we might come back here for the Nunthorpe at the Ebor meeting as well, he’s ran in that before and this track clearly plays to his strengths.

“He’s not an easy horse to train, so it’s a great training performance from Robert. He’s the sprint king and that is exactly why we sent him this horse.”

Handy juveniles

Andesite (7/2) got the better of a head-bobbing finish to deny Yah Mo Be There in the Frank Whittle Partnership ebfstallions.com Novice Stakes.

The two newcomers pulled clear of their rivals in the six furlong contest but the runner-up didn’t appear to provide Hollie Doyle with a great deal of help, showing his inexperience. In contrast, Andesite ran relatively straight and true for Danny Tudhope and mastered his rival in the final strides, winning by a short-head.

There were over three lengths back to 40/1 chance Jorge Alvares in third.

Tudhope told Racing TV: “He’s never really been put through the test at home, he’s done everything so easy on the bridle and it’s a different ball game when you get to the races, you learn a lot from it.

“It’s obviously very exciting. It’s all being well sitting on them at home and thinking they’re great but if they can do it on the track you’ve got something good to look forward to.

“A big lad, a good looking horse, he’s doing everything so well and I’m sure he’s got a good future.”

Andesite may have earned himself a place on Karl Burke’s Royal Ascot team. The half-brother to the stable’s 2022 Queen Mary heroine Dramatised is a first winner for former champion two-year-old Pinatubo as a sire.

Burke said: “If I’m honest I was quite surprised he battled back because he hasn’t been off the bridle at home so that’s the first time and I thought we were beaten, so fair play to him.

“He’s a lovely horse, but I heard Richard Fahey say the other day that a lot of good horses do things easy at home and then first time out they often don’t know what to do and Newmarket horses have often been on the grass a lot more, especially with the wet winter.

“I’ll speak to Steve (Parkin, owner) about Royal Ascot, but he’s certainly worthy of going there.”

Capital display from London City

The Aidan O’Brien trained London City (11/2) produced a game performance under top-weight to win the Collective Green Energy Handicap.

Entered in the Derby and King Edward VII Stakes, London City made much of the running under Ryan Moore but was challenged on both sides in the final furlongs of the mile and a half handicap.

The Justify colt found plenty for Ryan Moore and reasserted to win by a length and three lengths.

Align The Stars was second and Palace Green third.

Moore said: “He’s sill learning and is a nice, big horse. There’s plenty more to come from him and he’s still just putting it all together.”

More from Sporting Life

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.