Al Basti Equiworld And York Racecourse Continue Sponsorship Partnership

Al Basti Equiworld will renew its partnership with York Racecourse and continue sponsoring a trio of group races, the two organisations announced on Sunday.

The £180,000 G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Dante S. and the £150,000 G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Middleton S. will take place on May 16 this year. The £250,000 G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack S. will be held on Aug. 23.

Malih Al Basti said, “Our long-standing relationship with York Racecourse has contributed significantly to promoting recognition of our brand within the sport and beyond.  I am delighted that we are able to continue our support for these three important races at two of British racing's most exciting Festivals.”

Chairman of York Racecourse, Bridget Guerin, added, “Malih Al Basti has been a great supporter of York, so it is wonderful news that his support is set to continue. All three races have a rich heritage with many famous winners and memorable contests, they will continue to thrive under the strong partnership between Al Basti Equiworld and the team at York.”

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Wood Ditton Hero Passenger Supplemented To Dante Field

The Niarcho Family's Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) has been supplemented to the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York on May 18. His addition brings the potential field to 14 runners.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the Wood Ditton Maiden S. winner will follow the path of last year's G1 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), who won the Dante en route to Classic honours at Epsom. Connections paid £14,000 to supplement Passenger, who was scratched from the Listed Dee S. at Chester earlier this week due to ground concerns. The Betfred Derby will take place on Saturday, June 3, and Stoute's colt would also need to be supplemented to that contest, if all goes well on the Knavesmire.

Other entries for the York feature include Listed Blue Riband Trial hero Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) from John and Thady Gosden, Flying Honours (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby, and Dear My Friend (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) from the Charlie Johnston yard.

“We've got lots of excited owners on our hands at the moment,” said Middleham Park's Mike Prince of Listed Burradon S. winner Dear My Friend. “Very much the dream is still alive! We'll have a big crowd there next Thursday and they're just really excited, just to see how his season develops. The syndicate were absolutely delighted with his run at Newcastle–the form is working out nicely.

“Him and Flight Plan (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) had a ding-dong battle in the final furlong but he was quite comfortably on top in the last 100 yards and looked to be extending away.

“He's got a lovely, long stride on him and we think that stride-length will come into play when we step him up to a mile and two. We're pretty adamant that the step up in trip will suit him.”

Never to be discounted in a Classic prep is Aidan O'Brien, who has both the stakes-winning Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) and two-for-two Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) entered, while John Murphy's G3 Ballysax S. hero White Birch (GB) (Uyllses {Ire}) is another possible starter. Listed winner Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}), G2 Royal Lodge S. hero The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) and the Group 3-placed Dancing Magic (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), are also signed on.

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All Is Well At York As Dante Leads Thursday’s Card

It's May, it's sunny, it's the Dante meeting in the county of England known as “God's Own Country” and we have a Sir Michael Stoute Derby plunge horse about to appear. While the kingpin of Newmarket is still prepared to train racehorses, there will continue to be moments like these and this time the bearer of the Freemason Lodge standard is the unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. Bred at Gary Robinson's Teversham-based Strawberry Fields Stud, Saeed Suhail's 280,000gns Book 2 purchase looked a real prospect when winning the extended mile maiden at Nottingham in November won in recent times by Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). At 11-1 that day, it is safe to say the bay exceeded expectations but there will be far less mileage in his odds here after all the hullabaloo which has surrounded him of late. Stoute, who has the chance to equal the record of seven Dante winners set by his friend and rival, the late Sir Henry Cecil, has spoken of a setback which ruled out an earlier run and this trial has only just come around in time.

“Sir Michael is bringing him along very gradually, a month ago you certainly wouldn't have been thinking of winning any Derby but he's coming to hand now,” Saeed Suhail's racing manager Bruce Raymond said. “One thing about our horse is he'll stay very well and whatever he does in the Dante, he'll improve a lot for. He'd have to run well, but if he gets beat it doesn't automatically mean he wouldn't run in the Derby. He will be a decent horse in time.”

 

Will Experience Count?

While Desert Crown lacks seasoning, at the other end of that spectrum is Nas Syndicate and Tony O'Callaghan's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G3 Prix de Conde winner El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), whose defeat of Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and company in the latter contest looks stronger all the time. Trainer James Ferguson missed the chance to saddle a runner in the 1000 Guineas, but he is well on track to be involved in the G1 Cazoo Derby and all bar Highclere's G2 Royal Lodge S. and G3 Acomb S. winner Royal Patronage (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) have to improve to get to his level.

“He's the only Group 1 winner in the field and we've beaten the Derby favourite,” Ferguson said. “Stone Age looks progressive and has obviously done very well from two to three, but on paper you've got to be very happy with what we've got here in the yard.”

Jason Hart said of Royal Patronage, “His Acomb win here was good and there was no fluke in it–he has a great attitude and this course plays to his strengths.”

 

More Thunder Forecast

Night of Thunder (Ire) has already delivered a stunner at this meeting in Highfield Princess (Fr) and he is represented by the favourite in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' S. Heading Newtown Anner Stud Farm's duo is the Ger Lyons-trained impressive Listed Noblesse S. winner Thunder Kiss (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who has been patiently handled by her trainer and gives the impression she is ready to produce something special. She is met by the Stoute duo Ville de Grace (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) and Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}), with the former narrowly denied in Newmarket's G2 Dahlia S. over nine furlongs May 1, her latest honest and consistent effort. Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Noon Star is still an unknown quantity, but she has to be better than her workmanlike success in the Apr. 26 Listed Nottinghamshire Oaks.

“Hopefully she'll have progressed, she was off the track for a long while, so you'd hope there would be natural progression from the last run to this one,” Barry Mahon said.

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Stradivarius and ‘Moon’ To Return At York

High-class stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and G1 Cazoo Derby hopeful Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will both be in action at York in mid-May, co-trainer John Gosden revealed. The former holds an entry in the G2 Paddy Power Yorkshire Cup S. on May 13. After winning the G2 Doncaster Cup S. in September, the Bjorn Nielsen-owned chestnut ran second in the G1 Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp a month later, and finished his season with a third in the G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup. Her Majesty The Queen's Reach For The Moon is a winner of the G3 Solario S. at Sandown on Aug. 21, and he was a good second in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster on Sept. 11. His next engagement will be the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. at York on May 12.

John Gosden said, “They are all fine. Stradivarius will go to York. Both of them will be pointing towards York. Stradivarius for the Yorkshire Cup and Reach For The Moon to the Dante. They are going all right at this stage. It is early days.”

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