Our form expert has three selections for Thursday's ITV Racing at York for day two of the Dante Festival.
The Verdict: Thursday May 14
0.5pts e.w Squealer in 14:20 York at 40/1 (William Hill, Ladbrokes 1/5 1,2,3,4,5)
1pt win Action in 16:05 York at 7/1 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, 13/2 General)
1pt win Simplify in 16:40 York at 8/1 (William Hill, Paddy Power)
Plan of Action in the Dante
It’s the last throw of the Betfred Derby dice pre-Epsom on Thursday as day two of the Dante Festival at York hosts the week’s feature race with eight colts lining up on the Knavesmire.
Aidan O’Brien’s Christmas Day heads the betting for the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes after his win in the Ballysax first time out at three, form that was franked in the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown last weekend.
He’s the choice of Ryan Moore, but he might’ve been flattered in the Ballysax given he raced on the favoured part of the track up the stands’ rail and, for all he’s respected, he looks short enough at 9/4 on the balance of his overall profile.
Morshdi and Item are interesting contenders, but the key race might well be Sandown’s bet365 Classic Trial won by Raaheeb, with the second, third and fourth all reopposing here.
ACTION was only fourth that day for O’Brien, despite going off the 4/6 favourite, but I thought he did well to get as close as he did given he ran no sort of race being slowly away, running in snatches and hanging right up the hill.
Given O’Brien’s have been improving for their first run all spring he’s worth a pass, especially given the first-time tongue-tie he sported at Sandown is now dispensed with, O’Brien suggesting that was an error on his part earlier in the week.
We’re more likely to see the real Action on Thursday and his juvenile form was very good in the context of the Dante field.
Indeed, he beat Christmas Day by over five lengths at Galway and he finished a length and a half off the 2000 Guineas winner Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge, before he split two stablemates in Hawk Mountain and Benvenuto Cellini, both of whom have won Derby trials the last few weeks, in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
Money came for him Wednesday lunchtime which was untimely, but on the other hand it could be a pointer that he’s ready to go and the general 7/1 still looks fair enough given he’s the form horse in the race on the best of his runs.
The Verdict: Back ACTION in the 16:05 York
Keep it Simplify in the Westow
Later on the card Andrew Balding’s SIMPLIFY can land the Kingsclere yard back-to-back renewals of the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Westow Stakes over the five furlongs.
The daughter of Profitable has a bit to find on the figures having graduated from handicaps, but she looks a rapid improver having rattled off a hat-trick and she’s well worth a go up in grade.
She tanked through a strongly-run race at Thirsk last time to win impressively from Schrodinger’s Cat, who ran a good race in second at Chester last week, taking her record over the bare five furlongs to two from two.
Revival Power is a very speedy filly drawn next door and she should give her a lovely tow into the race, with PJ McDonald likely to ride her with confidence given she enjoyed coming off that strong gallop last time.
McDonald has a fine record for Balding, he is nine from 43 at 20.93% for him at York and getting 5lb from her market rivals Simplify looks a big threat to all.
The Verdict: Back SIMPLIFY in the 16:40 York
Squealer has a squeak for Tinkler
The handicaps aren’t races to get too heavily involved in even if William Haggas looks to have another likely type in Sea Force in the Hambleton, the favourite an unlucky loser in the Thirsk Hunt Cup last time.
I’m not mad on backing a horse at 3/1 in a race of this ilk, but I don’t really want to take him on and I’ll finish with a small each-way bet on Nigel Tinkler’s SQUEALER in the Lindum York Handicap over five furlongs (14:20).
You wanted to be far side in the big sprint on day one and Squealer is drawn more towards the stands’ side in 16, but he’ll be ridden to come through horses anyway and Faye McManaman could tack across if so desired.
Either way he looks a big price at 40/1, as he is now 7lb lower than when winning at York last June from subsequent Group 2 winner Jm Jungle and the Knavesmire suits him as he has a burst of speed in his locker that can be the difference on this track.
He missed the break at Thirsk last time and nothing went right for him, so a line is put through that run and the time before he was a big eyecatcher at Beverley after staying on under hands and heels riding on his first start for six months.
The Tinkler yard was cold back then, but he looks to have turned a corner and he had a double at Beverley on Tuesday. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his Squealer bounce back with a big effort here.
The Verdict: Back SQUEALER in the 14:20 York
Preview posted at 16:00 BST on 13/05/26
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