Four horses of interest at York, including The Lion In Winter

NIGHT RAIDER (Timeform rating 122)

1895 Duke of York Stakes (15:13), Wednesday

Karl Burke is responsible for three of the nine entries in Wednesday’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes, all of them at least smart sprinters. Marshman has been busy already this year, but his other two entries would be having their first starts as four-year-olds. Elite Status was a Group 3 winner in the Hackwood Stakes but ended the year with a poor run in the Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot. Night Raider, on the other hand, ended 2024 looking better than ever with a couple of dominant displays on the all-weather.

He was most impressive in the listed Golden Rose Stakes at Newcastle in November when travelling powerfully in front, having a clear lead at halfway and winning by just under four lengths from Annaf. That took Night Raider’s unbeaten record on the all-weather to four, whereas he was beaten on all three tries on turf last year. However, he faced a stiff task in the 2000 Guineas and also had excuses in his other two starts on turf. But there’s no reason why he shouldn’t prove just as good away from the all-weather, and his form makes him a serious rival to last year’s Commonwealth Cup winner Inisherin in a race sponsored by Night Raider’s owners Clipper Logistics.

KALPANA (120)

Middleton Fillies’ Stakes (15:13), Thursday

Juddmonte’s very smart filly Kalpana is set to get what could be a very successful four-year-old campaign underway in Thursday’s Middleton Fillies’ Stakes. Bluestocking won this for the same owners twelve months ago in a season which culminated in victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and Kalpana is herself already prominent in the Arc betting. Unlike Bluestocking at the same stage of her career, Kalpana already has a Group 1 success to her name as she ended 2024 with a win in the Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot where she showed a decisive turn of foot to win comfortably by two lengths from the smart Ballydoyle filly Wingspan.

Unraced at two, Kalpana did nothing but improve last year from humble beginnings on the all-weather on. A ten-length win at Newmarket’s Craven meeting showed she was going to be more than just a handicapper, and she ended the year with a hat-trick, winning a listed race at Hamilton and the September Stakes at Kempton prior to her big win at Ascot. Kalpana’s trainer Andrew Balding remains in very good form and he has won the Middleton before with Blond Me in 2017.

THE LION IN WINTER (119p)

Dante Stakes (15:45), Thursday

All eyes in Thursday’s Dante will be on The Lion In Winter who will be bidding to give Aidan O’Brien a fifth success in a race he hasn’t won since 2010. It will be a belated return to action for The Lion In Winter who has been absent since winning the Acomb Stakes at York’s Ebor meeting last August. That took The Lion In Winter’s record to two out of two but he was withdrawn on the day of the race with a foot infection when scheduled to end his two-year-old campaign in the Dewhurst Stakes. Nevertheless, he remained favourite for the 2000 Guineas for much of the winter but at the end of March O’Brien warned that he had taken ‘a little bit of time to come right’ and that his Guineas participation was doubt.

In any case, being by Sea The Stars and out of a mare who won at around a mile and a half, The Lion In Winter is bred to be much better suited by middle distances this year. His potential Dante rivals include Wimbledon Hawkeye who was fifth in the 2000 Guineas last time but had finished less than two lengths behind The Lion In Winter in the Acomb. That form looks all the more interesting now that Ruling Court, who was third that day, has won the 2000 Guineas. Another win from The Lion In Winter at York this week would set up a rematch between the two colts, who are distant relatives, at Epsom.

GLITTERING SURF (98p)

Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes (15:13), Friday

Friday’s Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes, registered as the Michael Seely Memorial, caters for fillies who weren't quite ready to be pitched into the 1000 Guineas at such an early stage of the season. However, some of them could yet be destined for Group 1 races later on, and among those entered both on Friday and in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot is Owen Burrows' promising daughter of Oasis Dream Glittering Surf. She’s yet to race on turf but has made a very good impression in winning both her starts at Kempton.

Sent off favourite, she was an impressive winner on her debut there in December and had no problem following up under very different tactics in a conditions race at the end of March. She did well to come from the back of the field in a steadily-run race and was produced to lead in the last 75 yards to win with a bit in hand from the favourite Bermuda Longtail who is also among Friday’s entries. American Gal, who was third that day, won a listed race at Chantilly last week so the signs are good for Glittering Surf to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner Devoted Queen who had won the same Kempton race beforehand.

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