Our form expert has four selections for day three of the Dante Festival at York and at Newbury on Friday.
The Verdict: Friday May 16
1pt win Eternal Solace in 2.10 York at 7/1 (General)
1pt win Kind Of Kiss in 2.25 Newbury at 11/1 (bet365, 10/1 General)
1pt win Austrian Theory in 2.42 York at 12/1 (General)
1pt win Sudden Flight in 4.15 York at 15/2 (General)
Easterby to strike at York
Tim Easterby has drawn a blank so far this week at York but he has started the turf season really well and he could get his Knavesmire winner with AUSTRIAN THEORY in the Knights Solicitors Handicap (2.42) over 10 furlongs on Friday.
This is a typically competitive York handicap but Austrian Theory is in great form and he is 2lb well-in after running second to Paddy The Squire at Chester last week.
The winner checked his run on the Roodee and Austrian Theory can be considered unlucky in the run, but it was further evidence that he’s firmly in the groove following his winter break after a very good reappearance second at Redcar.
He isn’t a frequent winner by any means, but his last two victories have come off the back of six and nine-day breaks, with one of those off the back of a run at Chester, so he looks finely tuned for this assignment after eight days off.
This could be run to suit with pacesetters Thunder Run and Salamanca drawn immediately to his outside, with David Allen likely to get a nice prominent position from his draw in three.
He ran well the last time he came to York and in a handicap where there aren’t too many unexposed types his consistency could well be rewarded.
The Verdict: Back AUSTRIAN THEORY in the 2.42 York
Find Solace in the Marygate
Rebel’s Romance tries to stretch out to 1m6f in the Boodles Yorkshire Cup and if he stays he looks the most likely winner, potentially opening up a campaign in the cup races.
He’s a fascinating runner, but it looks a no-bet race and I’d rather have a go at the opening Listed Clipper EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes for the two-year-olds.
Four once-raced winners line up amongst the nine-strong field and Karl Burke’s Love Olivia heads the betting, but she’s not the only one who made a deep impression on debut and I’d rather side with Ollie Sangster’s ETERNAL SOLACE at 7/1.
The daughter of Tasleet recorded a super win on fast ground at Brighton on debut, defying greenness to run out a ready three-length winner from 4/9 chance Dapper Charm, an Archie Watson colt who already had Brighton experience under his belt.
That was a fantastic effort first time out with the promise of improvement to come and Sangster said in his two-year-old guide on these pages this week that he sees her as a ‘stakes-class filly this season’.
Her owners The Cool Silk Partnership have had fillies run well in this race before, notably Silk Bow and Mistress Of Venice, while Eternal Solace’s half-sister, Yes I’m Mali, was a York winner for the same ownership group at last year’s Ebor Festival.
This could be a hot race, but Eternal Solace looks a little underestimated judging by such a taking debut success.
The Verdict: Back ETERNAL SOLACE in the 2.10 York
Sudden impulse for Hughes
In the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Handicap over five furlongs at 4.15 there has been early money for SUDDEN FLIGHT and that’s of no surprise.
Richard Hughes’ horse beat Hammer The Hammer at Southwell on his second start in February and that rival is rated 100 now, while he battled with another nice type in Carrados at Wolverhampton last time when carrying a penalty.
Both of those bits of form suggest he could be very nicely treated off 91 and William Buick has been booked for the ride.
He’s been learning his trade on the all-weather and this is his turf debut, but he’s got bags of potential improvement for an in-form trainer who has already struck at York this week.
It’s a shame the double-figure prices have gone, but I think he could well go off favourite so I’m happy to jump on board at 15/2.
The Verdict: Back SUDDEN FLIGHT in the 4.15 York
Kiss be quick at Newbury
Over at Newbury Kevin Phillipart de Foy’s KIND OF KISS makes plenty of appeal in the Titan Wealth Handicap over 10 furlongs.
This looks likely to be run at a strong gallop with prominent racers like Into Battle, Sweet Reward, Prometeo and Sovereign Sea in there and that looks key to Kind Of Kiss’s chance.
The son of Sea The Stars has been running well in slowly-run all-weather contests on his last two starts, but he really caught the eye finishing well for fourth at Lingfield last time and it looks like his excellent handler is really getting to grips with him.
An ex-Godolphin horse formerly trained by Andre Fabre, Kind Of Kiss looks well capable of having a big say in turf handicaps from his current rating of 88 and I like that his trainer has slotted him into a 0-88 at the top of the weights.
Phillipart de Foy’s record with top weights in handicaps is excellent – 32 wins at a strike-rate of 23.36% - and that percentage rises to 33.33% (11 wins) when Daniel Muscutt rides them.
The Verdict: Back KIND OF KISS in the 2.25 Newbury
Preview posted at 1540 BST on 15/05/25
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