Our form expert tipped 20/1 winner Hickory in his last Verdict column on Saturday and he has five selections for day one of the Dante Festival at York.
The Verdict: Wednesday May 14
0.5pts e.w. Naqeeb in 2.10 York at 22/1 (William Hill, bet365 1/5 1,2,3,4)
1pt win Commanche Falls in 2.42 York at 9/1 (BetVictor, Ladbrokes, Coral)
1pt win Bergerac in 2.42 York at 11/1 (BetVictor, Ladbrokes, Coral)
1pt e.w. Kerdos in 3.13 York at 16/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3)
1pt win Best Rate in 4.18 York at 12/1 (bet365, 11/1 William Hill)
Cox’s Kerdos has Clipper claims
It’s a belting card on day one of the Dante Festival at York and the Group 2 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes over six furlongs is an excellent feature race to kick-off the season on the Knavesmire.
With good to firm ground and a dry sunny forecast in store this is going to be rapid and there are question marks hanging over the market leaders.
Which Elite Status will turn up? Can Inisherin rediscover his best form after going off the boil at the end of last season? Can Night Raider translate his all-weather form to the turf?
It’s little wonder the market has cornered on those three as they have the best form in the race, but whether any of them can bring that to the table here is another question.
I’m not sure about Night Raider on the fast ground, while the Sheikh Obaid pair look risky given both are capable of throwing in a stinker if they aren’t quite right or things don’t get their way.
It looks ripe for an each-way bet against the trio, then, and Clive Cox’s KERDOS appeals at 16/1.
He has run his last 13 races over five furlongs, but he was a six-furlong winner at two and his dam was very much a six and seven-furlong horse, so it’s interesting Cox steps him up in trip here.
When he won the Temple Stakes last May he looked a five-furlong horse all over, but he kept getting outpaced after that for all he ran well in the King Charles III, King George Qatar Stakes and the Flying Five at the Curragh.
It was in Ireland where he began to look like he might want another furlong, as he stayed on well for fourth behind three speedsters in Bradsell, Believing and Makarova, and his five-furlong pace could well come in handy under Wednesday’s conditions.
Indeed, the trip could eke a bit more out of him now he’s five and that puts him right in the mix, while I’m taking note that Cox relies on him here given he had no less than five options for the race amongst the early entries.
The Verdict: Back KERDOS in the 3.13 York
Camacho’s Naq on show at York
Earlier on it could be worth taking a chance on Julie Camacho’s new recruit, NAQEEB, in the opening Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap over 1m4f.
It’s not easy improving a horse from William Haggas’ but Camacho almost won the Lincoln with Lattam on his first run following the same trainer switch and this horse is very interesting back in trip now he’s a year older.
A half-brother to Baaeed and Hukum, he obviously hasn’t hit the same heights as those two, but both seriously improved with age so there’s a chance on that basis alone that we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
He’s run three times over 1m4f in his life and improved on each go, and while his best form last season came over two miles at Newbury that race was run at a sedate pace and he finished well thanks to his speed over middle distances.
It was, though, evidence that he likes quick ground and he’s shown on a few occasions he can go well fresh, so there’s plenty there to have an each-way bet on him at 20/1 in an open race.
The Verdict: Back Naqeeb in the 2.10 York
Bergerac to crack Churchill Tyres case
The six-furlong Churchill Tyres Handicap at 2.42 looks a typical high-quality York sprint but I do think the combination of the distance and the faster ground at a speedy track will catch a few out.
I’m hoping Kevin Ryan’s BERGERAC won’t be one of those as he’s a course and distance winner on good to firm and he’s dropped to his last winning mark.
Last seen on turf finishing third in the Ayr Silver Cup off 91, he runs off 88 here after three runs on the all-weather and that gives him a chance both from a handicapping and fitness perspective.
In-form stablemate We Never Stop is drawn right next door to tow him into the race and he didn’t half catch the eye finishing like a train at this meeting last year over five furlongs.
The one I fear most is Michael Dods’ COMMANCHE FALLS so I’ll back him as well in a two-pronged attack.
He’s also drawn on the far side but I don’t mind that with a bit of pace over there and he too looks well-handicapped on his best York form.
Second over the course and distance in an Ebor Festival handicap off 109 on good to firm and off 107 last year, he’s a Listed winner here too and gets in this from 103, his lowest rating for four years.
He’s no back number, however, and he always needs a run these days, so his Leicester reappearance looked like it would bring him on plenty and he loves fast ground.
His half-brother Dakota Gold won this race in 2022 and was second in it last year, so he’s taken to uphold family honour with another big run.
The Verdict: Back BERGERAC and COMMANCHE FALLS in the 2.42 York
Best Rate can be best mate for punters
Finally, I like the look of Richard Hannon’s BEST RATE in the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap over seven furlongs.
Gallant is an unsurprising favourite here after his run at Newmarket last time, never put in the race over six furlongs but finishing well with running left to take fourth.
He’s bred for further so the extra furlong looks ideal but he’s very tight at 7/2 in a race where there’s more than one tantalising project.
Hannon’s Best Rate is certainly one of them and I like him above all others at 12/1, the drop back to seven furlongs looking a shrewd move.
He disputed the lead at that distance at Newmarket last time before weakening late on over a mile, but such a finishing effort was understandable after he pulled Ryan Moore to the front early on.
I think he’ll run more efficiently back at seven, the distance he won a red-hot novice over at Wolverhampton in December where the next four home all won subsequently.
This looks his trip to me, while Hannon is in good form and he used the same Newmarket race as a launchpad for Dark Thirty before he won this very contest two years ago.
The Verdict: Back BEST RATE in the 4.18 York
Preview posted at 1530 BST on 13/05/25
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