The Dante Festival: nine eye-catchers and a 20-1 tip for Ascot

Andy Stephens kept a close eye on all the action at York this week and suggests horses to follow at Epsom and Royal Ascot next month plus beyond.

ASTRO KING

It’s unlikely that his run escaped the attention of many and he’s gone straight to the top of my shortlist for next month’s Royal Hunt Cup, a race in which he’s got unfinished business.

Astro King became expensive to follow when trained by Sir Michael Stoute and it seems that his heavy defeat in the Balmoral Handicap in the autumn (on unsuitably tacky ground) in a first-time visor was the final straw as he was at the Sales soon after, where he changed hands for 36,000gns.

It looks like Daniel and Claire Kubler, who have a reputation for reviving careers, might just have a bargain on their hands because Astro King tanked through this contest with the headgear dispensed, only to run into traffic problems in the closing stages after cutting through the pack. The six-year-old ended up being beaten about a length without having anything like a hard race.

The handicapper hasn’t got much option but to leave him on the same mark, which is just 1lb higher than he was second in the Hunt Cup two years ago, when first home on his part of the track, and 4lb lower than when fourth 12 months ago. The only niggle is whether his window has passed with four-year-olds winning seven of the past eight renewals of the race (the odd one out was when a five-year-old obliged).

The John Smith’s Cup over ten furlongs at York in July looks another logical aim because he’s hinted the trip may suit (finished lame when disappointing in the race two years ago) and Thursday was not the first time he has run well on the Knavesmire. He's well served by fast ground so a wet summer would be unwelcome.

BLUE FOR YOU

Astro King was not the only horse who caught the eye in the Hambleton although Blue For You’s effort in fifth place barely attracted any post-race attention.

Drawn widest of all in stall 20, Daniel Tudhope took his medicine and initially parked him at the rear of the field after switching inside. However, he then manoeuvred wide again to make his run and ended up being isolated from those who fought out the finish.

Having also been off for seven months and representing a stable that has made a low-key start to the campaign (ten winners from 144 runners in April and May), perhaps it was also no surprise that he ran out of puff in the closing stages.

All things considered; this was a highly encouraging return but it’s probable that the handicapper will slightly ease his rating of 102. He will be another for the Hunt Cup shortlist and I’d imagine the Coral Golden Mile Handicap at Goodwood, in which he was second last year, will also be ringed in his calendar.

KNOCKBREX

The Charlie Johnston-trained colt traded odds-on in running in this 1m 4f handicap, with the front-running tactics employed by Andrea Atzeni getting plenty of the runners out of their comfort zone.

However, Knockbrex went hard and his efforts told in the closing stages as the son of Ulysses faded to finish out of the frame.

Atzeni was perhaps a little unfortunate to be drawn widest of all as he was left with two options. One: use up early energy to get across and dictate. Or two: drop in behind on a horse who has been ridden forward in each of his three previous races.

He went with Plan A, which looked the right call for 95 per cent of the race. But not being able to get a breather in along the way proved his undoing, with the first pair home swooping from well off the pace.

Knockbrex could probably do with a short break after putting in such a shift but he’s clearly capable of winning races off his present rating – either over this trip or perhaps a bit shorter.

He hails from a yard that has landed the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot five times this century and that race now seems sure to be an aim. Like three of those five winners, he has an official rating of 90.

MARSHMAN

Just over a furlong out in the Duke of York, it seemed the plunge on Marshman was going to be justified as he was still swinging away on the bridle despite having fluffed the start.

But he raced away from the other protagonists and couldn’t keep the revs up where it mattered most. He ended up weakening into fifth place, to the disappointment of those who had backed him from an initial 13-2 down to 9-4 favourite.

It had been a similar story in last year’s Gimcrack, over the same course and distance, when he had looked sure to win in the closing stages only to be overhauled late on by Noble Style. If we didn’t know it already, the evidence is now crystal clear: Marshman is all speed and crying out for races over the minimum trip.

He would not be out of place in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot although I just wonder if the occasion might get to him given his edgy behaviour before the start of this race, which led to him playing up in the stalls. That was a trait his sire, Harry Angel, became infamous for.

Perhaps his connections might be wiser to first find easier pickings before tackling races such as the Nunthorpe and Prix de l’Abbaye later in the campaign. He’s got time on his side and seems versatile regards then ground.

MON NA SLIVE

This two-year-old contest seems likely to represent strong early-season juvenile form with Mon Na Slive, a 190,000gns breeze-up buy, winning at the main expense of Mashadi and Kylian with representatives from the yards of Roger Varian and Aidan O’Brien further adrift.

The runner-up had previously been touched off on his Newmarket debut, while good-looking Kylian was backed off the boards for a yard, Karl Burke, who have made another terrific start with their youngsters.

Mon Na Slive was not unbacked, either, and his supporters didn’t have too many anxious moments as he was swiftly at the head of affairs and never looked like surrendering the lead, winning by a length and three quarters without being fully extended.

It was a professional display and the winning time was just 0.6sec outside the course record for a two-year-old – set by the 93-rated Big Time Baby (having his fifth run) in a Listed contest at the Ebor meeting in 2016 when carrying 2lb less.

Ryan said it had been pretty much love at first sight with Mon Na Slive when seeing him breeze and referred to the youngster’s great mind, describing him as “relaxed fast”. Winning jockey Tom Eaves also added the colt is half-asleep when not galloping.

Two of the past five winners of this York race - Project Dante and Santry – subsequently went close in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, while the 2015 winner was touched off in the Windsor Castle. Mon Na Slive clearly has attributes that will make him worth a second look at the meeting. William Hill quote him at 20-1 for the Norfolk and he looks well worth an each-way play at that price, even allowing for Wesley Ward’s highly touted American Rascal being among his likely opponents.

PASSENGER

Richard Kingscote will have probably just finished digesting his ride on Astro King, 40 minutes earlier, when suffering more frustration on Passenger in the feature race of the whole meeting.

Kingscote afterwards blamed himself for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt not getting a clear crack of things, but he simply looked a tad unfortunate with his path blocked left and then right when he needed wriggle room from two out.

Eventually, the combination found some space, but the damage had been done. Passenger stayed on to dead-heat for third, beaten just over a length, but had he enjoyed the same clear passage as the winner, The Foxes, then he might well have won.

There was still a stack of positives to take from this run, not least that it came just a month after his winning debut in a steadily-run Wood Ditton when the bulk of his rivals were green or backward. This was a proper test against smart opposition and Passenger rose to the challenge, looking most comfortable in the higher grade before simply not getting the rub of the green.

He's now no bigger than 7-1 to win the Derby but, first, connections will have to pay £85,000 to supplement him on May 29. Stoute has some previous here, as Kris Kin needed supplementing before he obliged in 2003, five years after the system was introduced. His Newmarket neighbour, John Gosden, won with another supplemented runner, Golden Horn, in 2015.

It’s puzzling how his owners, The Niarchos Family, have found themselves in such a position. After all, Passenger’s grandsire is Galileo, the 2001 Derby winner who has gone on to sire five Derby winners, and his grand-dam is Light Shift, the 2007 Oaks winner. The Surrey Downs are coursing through his veins.

QUEEN FOR YOU

This Listed race often yields a top horse with last year’s winner, Fonteyn, going on to land the Group One Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes later in the year.

It seems safe to assume this was a well-up-to-scratch renewal with bags of potential among the field.

The first three flashed past the post almost as one – Sounds Of Heaven, Queen For You and Silver Lady – and that will deter those who take the “they can’t all be top notchers” approach. But perhaps they just might be.

Queen For You, in particular, looks one to keep firmly on side as she tanked through the race for Team Gosden only to lose out on the bob. Given she had been unraced at two and had only made her debut 16 days earlier when winning at Ascot, when green, this suggests she’s soon going to making her presence felt in a higher grade.

She’s a general 10-1 for the Coronation Stakes and, while such as Mawj and Tahiyra will provide tough opposition, I wouldn’t want to be laying her at those odds.

Her dam, Fallen For You, won the Coronation in emphatic style for Gosden in 2012 having never having won in pattern company. And her sire, Kingman, was a stunning winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes in 2014.

SAM COOKE

Suggesting following a seven-year-old who has been plying his trade in handicaps for four years goes against the grain but I’m happy to make an exception with Ralph Beckett’s charge.

He’s been his own worst enemy in the past with his keen-going nature, but he’s simply never been better. He signed off last season with successive wins at Newmarket and Newbury, and ran a stormer to be half a length second to the racefit Scampi (who he was conceding 16lb too) in this red-hot handicap after eight months off.

Switched inside at then start from his unfavourably wide draw, he was initially anchored in rear before typically impressing with way he motored through race.

He kept on well all the way to the line, but Scampi got first run on him and wasn’t stopping.

Sam Cooke disappointed when well fancied for the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot a couple of years ago but would be well worth aiming at that race again. It’s a 0-105 but he’d be unfortunate not to get in, with this latest York effort coming off a mark of 102.

He will likely face some improving rivals but Scarlet Dragon won that race as a seven-year-old a couple of years ago and Ajero, also seven, was runner-up in it last year.

SOUL SISTER

Having managed to secure some chunky early odds about Novakai for the Musidora, I was briefly on good terms with myself as she began to master main market rival Infinite Cosmos approaching the closing stages.

But no sooner than she had, Soul Sister breezed past as if she had just joined in and surged clear under a motionless Frankie Dettori.

What made this such a seriously impressive trial for the Betfred Oaks was that the Frankel filly had been held up in a race where the fractions were steady. The run of the race favoured Novakai, the clear form pick, and Infinite Cosmos, perhaps the runner with most untapped potential, but Soul Sister swept by them as if they were standing still. With the Rockfel winner, Midnight Mile, in fourth, the form has a solid look.

To illustrate the pedestrian nature of the race, Soul Sister clocked 10.82sec in furlong 8; 10.74 in furlong 9; and 11.65sec in the final furlong. She finished the final three furlongs in 33.21sec. To put that in context, Duke of York winner Azure Blue (a year older and running over half as far in terms of distance) ran her final three furlongs in 34.11sec earlier on the card - almost a full second slower, albeit carrying 5lb more.

You could reasonably argue this performance was more about speed than stamina but I wouldn’t worry about Soul Sister getting an extra quarter of a mile in the Oaks, even if it’s a much more searching pace. Frankel is renowned for passing on stamina to his progeny (he was the sire of the stable’s last Oaks winner, Anapurna) and Soul Sister glided clear, showing no signs of fatigue. She also has more than one sibling who was fully effective over 1m 6f.

I’d much rather be with her at around 100-30 for the Oaks than the favourite, Savethelastdance, who has achieved less and is unproven away from the mud.