Dante Festival betting tips: Frankie Dettori to shine at York and give Stradivarius 'emotional' send-off
York hosts the Dante Festival this week featuring multiple Group races and top-class action with some firm fan-favourites making a reappearance.
The races at this festival will provide insight into many of the runners entered into the big meetings to come including the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot.
The Dante Festival will set off on Wednesday May 11 and goes on until Friday May 13.
There are 21 races held at York Racecourse over the course of the Dante Festival.
Including multiple Group races; Musidora Stakes on Wednesday, the Dante Stakes on Thursday and the Yorkshire Cup Stakes on Friday.
The usual faces and silks were in the midst of things in last year's Dante Stakes and this year Frankie Dettori is tipped to bring home all three of feature races this week.
Dante Festival Betting Tips
Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Group 3) Betting Tip and preview
Emily Upjohn at 10/11
This race on Wednesday is an ideal preparation race for the Oaks at Epsom in June.
Emily Upjohn is the strong odds-on favourite here and a close second-favourite in the Oaks on June 3.
Life Of Dreams is around 5/2 to win at York but is less fancied for the Epsom feature, at around 9's in the betting currently.
At 1m2½f, this is a marginally shorter distance they will face than in under a month's time, but should be more than capable to take on the two trips.
Dettori said to Sporting Index: "It’s a very exciting week at York, particularly kicking off with Emily Upjohn in the Musidora Stakes (3:35pm, Wed).
"She put in an amazing performance at Sandown under a penalty and now faces her first real test.
"There are some nice fillies in the race, so it will be good to see how we stack up against them and for her to show us exactly what she’s got.
"She’s favourite based on her Sandown run and like everybody else I’m just very excited about seeing where we are with her."
Emily Upjohn justified favouritism last month at Sandown winning by a huge margin of over nine lengths with Dettori on board.
He will take the reins again on the Gosden-trained horse who also has a very eye-catching pedigree, as he's by Sea The Stars, another Epsom Derby and multiple Group 1 winner.
Life Of Dreams is a convincing second-favourite though, with the in-form Charlie Appleby and William Buick combination proving lethal in the early parts of the season.
Dante Stakes (Group 2) betting tip and preview
Magisterial at 11/4
Now the Dante Stakes really provides a great outlook on the runner ahead of the Derby.
Richard Kingscote will be on board the favourite who takes on many outsiders of the Derby, including Magisterial, Point Lonsdale, Walk Of Stars, Royal Patronage and more.
Those however, are huge prices currently from 16/1 to over 33/1.
But you cannot discount them with any ease and those odds will change dramatically if any of them put in a good performance on Thursday.
One of those who could see their price fall from 25/1 in the Derby with a possible winning run at York is Magisterial, trained by the Gosdens and again boarded by Dettori.
The Gosdens have a 23% win-rate over the last fortnight (as of Monday, May 9) and is by Frankel, the highest-ever rated horse by Racing Post Rating standards, and was unbeaten including over 10 Group 1 contests.
Dettori said: "In Thursday’s big trial, the Dante Stakes (3:35pm, Thu), I’m looking forward to learning a bit more about Magisterial.
"It’s very hard to gauge how good his Leicester win was as it basically turned into a two-furlong sprint. As a result, we didn’t really get to learn too much, but the Dante will give us a better indication of his ability.
"He won under a penalty which is a plus, but this is another step up and it’s now time to see whether he’s a Derby horse or not. He’s done nothing wrong and is entitled to be in the line-up for sure."
Yorkshire Cup Betting Tip
Stradivarius 4/6
Another of Dettori's rides is the pick of the bunch for a punt on a huge treble at York this week.
And it will mean a lot to the 51-year-old jockey and fans of the admirable 8-year-old Stradivarius.
"Friday will be emotional with Stradivarius in the Yorkshire Cup (3:35pm, Fri)", Dettori added.
"He’s won all of his five races at York, more than at any other track, and I’m sure the Yorkshire crowd will give him an amazing final farewell. Win, lose or draw, I’ll lead him in front of the grandstands and let the crowds give him their final goodbye.
"Everyone knows how much I loved Enable, and she went on until six whereas this boy is now eight. Believe it or not, I’ve won more Group races on him [Stradivarius] than Enable!
"He’s never let us down so I’m not too worried about how he might run, even if he isn’t getting any younger. He’s getting a little bit clever in his old age, but when push comes to shove he’s always there for me."
There's many appealing fancies for the Yorkshire Cup but Stradivarius' record here cannot be ignored as Dettori explained above.
He has been close behind in defeat in the last two at Ascot and Longchamp but still has the staying power as seen at York in August winning by a head to Spanish Mission.
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