Pedigree preview ahead of Dante Stakes at York

Epictetus (Kingman)

A son of Kingman doesn’t exactly scream Epsom Derby candidate but having won the only trial on the Derby course with more in hand than the bare result reflects, Epictetus must be taken seriously for this contest. He was purchased in utero as part of the Rothschild dispersal where his Group One winning dam Thistle Bird (Selkirk) commanded 750,000gns from Epictetus’ owner breeder George Strawbridge.

Classics were no doubt in mind when Thistle Bird visited quadruple Group One winner Kingman but probably the one at Newmarket as opposed to Epsom. Thistle Bird was never tried beyond a mile and a quarter whilst the majority of Kingman’s offspring stop beyond that distance. Epictetus’s second dam is a stakes winning sprinter and his half-sister Jumbly (Gleneagles) has done her winning from 6f to a mile. With one eye on Epsom it’s back to his third and fourth dams to find the stamina to stand the ultimate test of a racehorse. His third dam placed in the 12f Listed Prix Edellic and is a half-sister to a G2 Prix Royallieu winner.

Back to the task in hand, Epictetus proved in soft ground that a mile and a quarter was no problem and on a flatter track and better ground here, he is a worthy favourite. He’ll have to hit the line hard if he’s going to shake up the Derby market though.

Passenger (Ulysses) & White Birch (Ulysses)

Promising sire Ulysses is double handed here with exciting Wood Ditton winner Passenger and G3 Ballysax Stakes winner White Birch both lining up. Whilst Passenger is somewhat of an unknown quantity, White Birch decisively won one of the key Irish Classic trials. Won last year by another son of Ulysses and subsequent Irish Derby second Piz Badile, White Birch will enjoy a strongly run race here.

He is a Cheveley Park homebred being the second foal out of their All Weather finals winner Diagnostic (Dutch Art). There is more speed than stamina on his distaff side but we know sons of Galileo like Ulysses are capable of passing on the stamina required for the premier Classic into their progeny.

Being a Niarchos homebred it won’t come as a surprise to learn Passenger has the class and pedigree to match the ability he hinted at in the Wood Ditton. He is bred on an extension of the War Front/Galileo cross of recent Listed Yeats Stakes winner Peking Opera. Like his trainer’s 2022 Derby winner Desert Crown, he arrives here with just one winning run under his belt. He is out of the winning War Front mare Dilmun who is a daughter of multiple Graded stakes winner Pachattack, herself effective from a mile to a mile and a half.

If we were previewing the Epsom Derby it would be Passenger on pedigree given the assured stamina and class throughout his pedigree. This key trial is run over a mile and a quarter though and whilst Passenger’s potential is unlimited at this stage, White Birch is one of the few who has proven he is up to this class.

Flying Honours (Sea The Stars)

Making his seasonal debut since winning the G3 Autumn Stakes, Flying Honours was busy as a juvenile and has the credentials to take a giant leap forward from his known form. He is out of the Dubawi mare Powder Snow whose best effort as a juvenile came when third in a nursery.

She switched to France for her three year old season where a mark of 72 in Britain blossomed into four wins from 9f-11.5f culminating in the G3 Prix Fille de l’Air. Flying Honours’ second dam Snow Ballerina (Sadler’s Wells) was unsuccessful on the track but possesses elite genes being a daughter of Oaks winner Snow Bride (Blushing Groom) and a half-sister to King George winner and Champion Lammtarra (Nijinsky).

Given Flying Honours has already shown he has more precocity than his mother and at least as much class, this race is the ideal stepping stone towards emulating his third dam who took the fillies equivalent trial on her way to Epsom glory.

The Foxes (Churchill)

Warming up for the Derby with a respectable second in the Craven Stakes, The Foxes will bid to maintain the scorching start his third crop sire Churchill is enjoying this season.

With leading Epsom player Sprewell tucked up at home and Blue Rose Cen doing her part in delivering a second Classic winner from as many crops in France last weekend, a win for The Foxes will propel Churchill into the upper echelons of the stallion ranks. Given The Foxes is a full brother to 1m6f Listed winner Perotan, the eight furlongs of the Craven Stakes were highly likely to prove short of his optimum.

Kin to three additional stakes winners including Al Maktoum R3 G1 winner Matterhorn (Raven’s Pass) over a mile and a quarter and G3 Curragh Cup winner Tactic (Sadler’s Wells) over 1m6f, if this step up in trip brings out the improvement The Foxes’ pedigree suggests it should, the Churchill train won’t be stopping any time soon.

Canberra Legend (Australia)

Another sire doing his utmost to elevate his profile is Australia and Canberra Legend is one of his most exciting prospects yet. Being a grandson of Galileo, he is bred on very similar lines to the lucrative Galileo-Fastnet Rock cross (16% black type winners to foals of racing age) which is naturally an extension of the unparalleled Galileo-Danehill cross.

His dam is unraced and his distaff pedigree is all speed so Epsom will pose a different question but York’s galloping mile and a quarter should not pose a problem given the way he powered up the Rowley Mile in the 9f Listed Feilden Stakes. The Derby contender Australia has been waiting for, Canberra Legend was a 125,000gns foal and 350,000gns yearling so it’s likely he’s been telling those around him that he might be a little bit special since the beginning. He’ll need to be special to win this.

Continuous (Heart’s Cry)

The inspired decision to send some of the jewels that are Galileo mares to Japan has already paid off in spades for the team at Coolmore and none more so than with this colt’s own relative Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact).

Maiden winner Fluff (Galileo) was sent to Sunday Silence’s now deceased sun Heart’s Cry after two visits to Deep Impact and with this resulting colt unbeaten in two starts at two, it looks very inspired indeed. The Japanese know a good one when they see it and so it is difficult to get access to their carefully nurtured sire lines. A mare like Fluff would be welcome in any stallion shed though and even more so following Saxon Warrior’s Classic campaign in 2018.

As Fluff is a full sister to Champion Two Year Old Maybe (Saxon Warrior’s dam), it would be a case of history repeating itself in more ways than one if Continuous emerges as a serious player for the Derby. Continuous is a grandson of Listed winner Sumora (Danehill) who is herself a three parts sister to Epsom Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Danehill Dancer). A win here would come as no surprise given his illustrious bloodlines, probably the best of a very good bunch here.

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