Expert jury: which horse are you taking out of the Dante Stakes?

A muddling Dante leaves the Derby picture as wide open as ever with just over a fortnight until Epsom. The Foxes won the major Classic trial at York but only narrowly from the fast-finishing White Birch, with Continuous and Passenger dead-heating for third.

Plenty to like in exceptionally strong Dante

That looked an exceptionally strong Dante and I won’t be just taking one horse out of the race as each of the first four have something to recommend them next time and are possible future Group 1 winners.

The Foxes veered across the track in the straight so can be marked up slightly, White Birch looked an out-and-out stayer and powered home to suggest he could be a St Leger candidate later in the season and Continuous ran miles better than most of Aidan O’Brien’s Dante representatives in recent times. He could be a French Derby type.

The strong-travelling Passenger endured a torrid trip but the only two horses Sir Michael Stoute ran in the Dante off the back of just one start (Workforce and Desert Crown) both went on to win the Derby and Passenger could easily follow suit. The weight of money behind him before the off was significant and he remains open to untold improvement. Respect this formline.
Robbie Wilders, tipster

The 16-1 could be a great each-way bet

Passenger was the most unexposed of the Dante runners but was the one to make the biggest impression. 

Richard Kingscote will not be rushing back to watch the replay, having been stuck behind a wall of horses on a few occasions, but will take hope from the way his mount finished. That effort will surely persuade connections to supplement him for the Derby and he would have to be a contender, but 8-1 is short enough.

As an ante-post bet I would much prefer the quote of 16-1 for White Birch in the St Leger. He looked outpaced in the early stages but motored home to only be beaten a neck. Continuous, who lacked a prep run, showed his quality too on ground which was probably a bit quick for him.
James Stevens, reporter

Continuous could improve past them all 

In a year when nearly every horse in the Derby has question marks, The Foxes travelled and picked up like a fast horse. While Andrew Balding and King Power Racing have every right to dream about Epsom, the Prix du Jockey Club over a little further than a mile and a quarter might, strictly speaking, be a better fit. 

Passenger was clearly very unlucky and would definitely be worth his place in the Derby line-up if connections choose to supplement. In a wide open year though, might such a decision be a case of playing the race and not the horse? 

The other son of Ulysses, White Birch, ran a fine trial and looks certain to appreciate the extra furlong and a half, though may lack a bit of tactical pace. It’s even possible to argue that, as the only one of the first four not to have had a run, Continuous ran a big race in proving he handles quick ground and could yet improve past them all. Several of these have the talent to get involved at Epsom but I don’t believe any earned the right here to dislodge the market leaders.
Scott Burton, reporter

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