We’ve got several Group quality races to enjoy this week and punters will be hoping to see a continuation of the warm and dry weather which has marked the beginning of May. If you decide to take a trip out to see some live horse racing, many British courses are seeing good to firm conditions, so you can expect some swiftly run races.
There will not be too many quicker than the Lockinge Stakes, which always attracts some of the best one-mile horses in the business – and this year is no exception. Lockinge with Ladies Day also promises to attract an array of glamorous outfits and headwear, making it a fabulous day both on and off the track.
Wed 14th to Fri 16th: Dante Festival
York Racecourse hosts plenty of excellent racing and one of their more notable meetings is this three-day festival. Named after Dante, the Yorkshire-trained winner of the 1945 Derby, the midweek gathering attracted over 30,000 spectators last year and a similar crowd is expected this time around.
Although not the biggest event to take place at York, this meeting has enjoyed a significant boost in prize money. Now boasting a record purse of over £1.5m across the three days, there are likely to be even more trainers willing to make the journey to York. Also, keep your eye on the winners of the big Dante Festival races. Last year, the winners of the four Group Two races each went on to be Group One victors by Christmas.
Day 1: Off to a Fast Start
The Group 2 Duke of York Stakes, the first Pattern race of the York season, could be an early pointer to the year’s top sprinter. Nine contenders are left in the running for the six-furlong sprint on Wednesday, including Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin and Hackwood Stakes winner Elite Status. As well as Elite Status, local trainer Karl Burke has other hopes in Night Raider and Marshman.
Day Two: Dante Stakes Takes Centre Stage
Day two of the Dante Festival is headlined by the Dubai Dante Stakes, the richest race of the festival. This key Derby trial has produced 11 Epsom winners in the past and there will be many hoping to become the 12th. There are 50 entries left still in for this competitive affair, although this figure will drop significantly as it usually ends up with around 10 runners.
Thursday also features the Group 2 Middleton Stakes for fillies and mares, aged four years and older. If she makes the journey, all eyes will be on Kalpana who has not been seen since her brilliant Champions Fillies’ and Mares’ Stakes win at Ascot in October.
Day Three: Yorkshire Cup Draws Elite Stayers for Finale
Day three of the Dante Festival is headlined by its fourth and final Group 2 event – the Yorkshire Cup, a prestigious prize for the top stayers. We look set for a fairly open renewal of the 1m6f battle with many of the early entries in with a genuine shot of winning this historic race as it nears its 100th birthday. John Gosden no longer has three-time winner Stradivarius to call upon, but he is responsible for the two early favourites in Sweet William and Trawlerman.
Saturday 17th May – Attention Turns to Newbury
If three days of high-quality racing at York were not enough, after the Dante Festival concludes, there is a major day of action much further south. Racing at Newbury does actually begin on the Friday, but it’s the Saturday where you will find all the top action. Early in the afternoon, punters can enjoy the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes, while at 15:35, it’s time for the star of the show, the Lockinge Stakes.
With a huge purse of £400,000, this one-mile contest never fails to excite as some of the fastest eight-furlong runners gallop down Newbury’s straight track. The contest is televised, as is all of Newbury’s racing on Saturday, and it is well worth turning in for as there looks set to be some big names involved, including St James Palace Stakes winner Rosallion, bet365 Mile champion Dancing Gemini and last year’s Sussex Stakes hero, Notable Speech.
