Wednesday 17 May’s UK racing tips come your way from the York’s Dante Festival and Newton Abbot.
YORK
Race 1 – REAL DREAM 4/1
REAL DREAM looks a good thing for the Sir Michael Stoute team in the opening Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap.
The son of Lope De Vega looks a typical four-year-old improver for the master of Freemason Lodge, having built on promising maiden and novice form from last season when making a successful handicap debut at Kempton a fortnight ago. It was also his first start since being gelded and undergoing wind surgery and while the winning margin was only a length, he was value for a good bit more. A 5lb rise looks more than fair on his return to the turf in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Race 2 – DAKOTA GOLD 15/2
DAKOTA GOLD has already won six times at York and the veteran sprinter looks sure to go well again in the second at York today.
LUCKY MAN will provide the threat. He is having his first start of the season since finishing down the field behind Summerghand at Lingfield in November, and he can be forgiven that effort as it was at the end of a long season.
He has shown a clear liking for this course and distance having never finished outside the first two home in three starts.
The unexposed KHANJAR merits big respect and is sure to be fit and ready to roll on his seasonal reappearance, along with last year’s second MAKANAH.
Race 3 – MARSHMAN – 4/1
CREATIVE FORECE and last year’s winner HIGHFIELD PRINCESS heads the field for what looks a strong renewal of the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes, but preference is for the lightly-raced MARSHMAN.
Highfield Princess went on to enjoy a fantastic season following her victory 12 months ago, completing a Group One hat-trick before an honourable fourth-placed finish at the Breeders’ Cup. However, she needed a couple of runs before finding her form last term and she faces no easy task in conceding weight to several high-class sprinters on her reappearance.
Marshman, who has won three of his five starts for Karl Burke, is in receipt of 11lb from John Quinn’s brilliant mare and only has 6lb to find on official ratings. He proved he had trained on when dominating from the front in a Group Three at Chantilly last month and unlike Highfield Princess should be cherry-ripe for this assignment.
Race 4 – INFINITE COSMOS 7/4
INFINITE COSMOS can cement her Classic claims with victory in the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.
The Group Three contest has proved a key trial for the Oaks at Epsom over the years, with Aidan O’Brien’s Snowfall the last filly to do the double two years ago.
Infinite Cosmos is from a family trainer Stoute knows well as a relative of top-notch performers Hillstar and Crystal Ocean, and the daughter of Sea The Stars has shaped with huge promise in two starts so far.
The form of her short-head defeat on her Doncaster debut in the autumn has worked out well, with the winner SEA OF ROSES now rated 100 after finishing second in a French Group Three last month.
On the strength of that performance, Infinite Cosmos was a warm order to make a successful start to her three-year-old campaign just under two weeks ago and could hardly have been more impressive. That victory moved her towards the top of the ante-post betting for the Oaks and given she showed signs of inexperience, it is fair to expect improvement on the Knavesmire.
Sea Of Roses is again in opposition, but the suspicion is Infinite Cosmos has more in the locker.
Race 5 – CARAGIO 8/1
CARAGIO catches the eye in the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap. He readily accounted for the talented Highbank when opening his account at Leicester in October before finishing a creditable fourth in a heavy ground Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. Back on a sounder surface on his return to action, he has to be of major interest moving into the handicap sphere for the first time.
Others to consider include ONIGHT, who has won two out of three starts to date, the latest of those victories coming at Kempton and he has to be respected on his handicap bow.
NEWTON ABBOT
Race 1 – INFERNO SACREE 5/1
THE PINK’N gave a good account when fourth in deeper waters at Wincanton last month and demands the utmost respect now eased in grade.
He remains winless since March 2020, though, and preference goes to INFERNO SACREE. The five-year-old readily dismissed his rivals at Perth last time out and he gets the nod to continue his ascendancy.
MONJULES finished second at Fontwell on his latest outing and is another to consider.
