Ben Linfoot was our man at the track on Dante day and he feels High Definition deserves to be shorter in the Derby betting than trial winner Hurricane Lane.
HD vision: Dante third catches the eye
The Dante has been called the ‘Daddy’ of the Derby trials and after producing 11 winners of the Epsom Classic in the first 62 renewals – okay, 61, we can’t count last year given it was run after the Derby – it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
At a sun-drenched York on Thursday the 2021 vintage promised so much and it delivered an unbeaten winner in HURRICANE LANE. He was good – not flashy – but good, and there is no doubt he threw his hat into the Derby ring. The general price slash was 6s from 16s and it’s hard to argue with that, too.
But if the Dante is used as a filter to sort out the men from the boys does HIGH DEFINITION make it into the big league or not? Derby favourite going into the winter on the back of two startling come-from-behind wins as a juvenile, his three-year-old reappearance was eagerly-awaited and we did wait. Lingfield was aborted after some unsatisfactory bloods and the Dante, just five days later, came just in time. Considering the setbacks he ran an encouraging race in third and he remains the 9/2 second favourite for Epsom – but is it hard to argue with that?
This is where the debate will rage.
I get why some observers might think he has dented his Derby claims on the back of this reappearance, but I’m not sure I’d want to lay him at bigger prices than the available 9/2 myself.
It was the way he finished after looking like he was going nowhere three furlongs out. He stayed on again, had more in the tank at the line and was only beaten two lengths.
When you take into account his preparation and how much he could come forward from this over an extra two furlongs at Epsom, plus the nature of the gallop that lifted at halfway, well, I can understand why he’s shorter than the Dante winner for the Derby.
For me, it just looks like he’s capable of finding an extra gear at Epsom – and I’m not sure Hurricane Lane would be able to live with a HD model that is finely-tuned, rather than the straight out of the box version he beat this afternoon.
HD vision @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/qKKSt1Hktb
— Ben Linfoot (@BenLinfoot) May 13, 2021
Buick smitten with the Hurricane
“Everything he does he does it right,” says William Buick, positively purring over Hurricane Lane’s success.
And while we can argue all we like about which is the horse to take out of the Dante for the Derby, there is no doubt that today belonged to Hurricane Lane.
Now three from three for his career, he’s done nothing wrong so far and he’s won the pre-eminent Derby trial in the style of a grinder. Indeed, it’s hard to see him not staying the trip on the first Saturday in June.
This was Buick’s third Dante on the back of Libertarian and Golden Horn, while he’s won the Derby, too, on Masar, so he’s in a good place to compare the talents of Hurricane Lane.
“Golden Horn was quite pacey and very quick,” he says. “This horse goes through the gears a little bit more gradually.
“The Dante was his third run, as well, so similar profiles. If he can do what Golden Horn did I’d be very happy!
“Masar was obviously a good two-year-old with Group One form, then he was third in the Guineas, he won the Craven and had a lot of pace. So I suppose the one worry with him was a mile and a half.
“But Hurricane Lane is still improving. He’s a big horse and he’s a lovely horse to be around. He answers every call, you can feel him going through the gears and he was pricking his ears crossing the line.”
The paddock pick beforehand, Hurricane Lane is a good-looking son of Frankel and Buick is clearly smitten. Unlike before the 2000 Guineas, I don’t think there will be a question of who the Godolphin number one will be on at Epsom in just over three weeks’ time.
Derby shaping into father v son sire-off
We’re almost there when it comes to the Derby trials now and with Hurricane Lane emerging as a big player at York today it’s tempting to row in with the Ballydoyle v Godolphin narrative ahead of Epsom.
However, there is another angle in the bloodstock world and it’s the gathering of the Derby troops for Frankel as he bids to get one over his old man in the super sire stakes.
Galileo truly is the daddy when it comes to most things in the world of European horse racing, but particularly when it comes to siring Derby winners – Serpentine’s victory last year a record-breaking fifth win in the race for the stallion.
But as time goes on the baton will be passed eventually and while Ballydoyle have been crying out for a son of Galileo to take over the mantle, Juddmonte look to have the ace card for future Derbys with Frankel’s progeny staying so well.
Only Eminent, Zabriskie and Cracksman have represented Frankel in the Derby so far, the latter producing the best performance with his third place in 2017, but 2021 could be his year judging by the way things are shaping up.
Hurricane Lane is just about the shortest Frankel in the betting after his Dante win, but only just as William Haggas’ Mohaafeth is the same price of 6/1 with many bookies and then there’s Derby dark horse John Leeper, another Frankel, who lays his credentials on the line on Saturday.
Team Galileo have Bolshoi Ballet and High Definition in the running, so the father v son head-to-head is well and truly on, and if anybody was to come up with a ‘sire of the Derby winner’ market then I’m betting that it would be a very tight heat indeed.
