Dante Festival: Joseph O'Brien aims for Dante success with Rekindling

YORK'S Dante Stakes was one of the few top class races to elude Joseph O'Brien during his all-too-brief career in the saddle.
Former jockey Joseph OBrien is hoping he can win the Dante Stakes at York as a trainer.Former jockey Joseph OBrien is hoping he can win the Dante Stakes at York as a trainer.
Former jockey Joseph OBrien is hoping he can win the Dante Stakes at York as a trainer.

However, he has every chance of training the winner of this noted Epsom Derby trial courtesy if Rekindling who leads the Irish challenge on the Knavesmire.

The three-year-old colt won his seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown and today’s test is likely to have a significant bearing on this year’s Derby field in which 2000 Guineas winner Churchill – trained by O’Brien’s father Aidan – is the only standout contender at this stage.

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“We were delighted with his reappearance on his first run for us. He’s a quite laid-back horse so it’s very hard to know how good he is,” said O’Brien junior.

“He never is a horse that sparkles at home, so you have to kind of take things for granted and look forward to him on the racecourse.

“He won one of the Derby trials in Ireland. At the minute, he has all the credentials to be an Epsom Derby candidate. He has to go to York and show us that he is.”

It won’t be easy. O’Brien’s father, whose Ballydoyle yard has been totally dominant this season, saddles Exemplar while home hopes rest with Sir Michael Stoute’s progressive Crystal Ocean and Guardsman from the yard of John Gosden who is seeking to win a third successive renewal of the Dante which celebrates the last Yorkshire horse to win the Derby.

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Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Guardsman did win a Derby trial at Epsom last month, albeit not in scintillating style and the jockey harbours hopes of replicating the Dante-Derby double that he completed aboard Authorized 10 years ago.

The jockey said: “It was a workmanlike performance at Epsom, but the experience will have done him a world of good. I think he’ll have learned a lot. The Dante is probably the best trial – it looks a very competitive field – but he’s got to step up again to have a good chance at Epsom.”

Yorkshire hopes rest with Forest Ranger, Permian and Syphax. The latter is trained by Malton’s Richard Fahey, who hopes the improbably named Brian The Snail can stretch his unbeaten record to four in the Westow Stakes for three-year-old sprinters.

Bought by Godolphin after winning his first two races last year, he made no mistake on his reappearance at Pontefract and Royal Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup is the ultimate target.

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“Rain helped me to make the decision to declare Brian The Snail,” said Fahey. “I wouldn’t have wanted to run him over five furlongs on fast ground. We like him a lot. It’s another stepping stone for him – the next level.”

Defending champion Clever Cookie is one of eight runners for tomorrow’s feature Yorkshire Cup.

Peter Niven’s veteran will be making his seasonal reappearance but yesterday’s deluge can only help the chances of the Malton horse.

The Queen’s Dartmouth, a Royal Ascot winner last June, and Ralph Beckett’s Simple Verse, the 2015 St Leger winner, adds lustre to a quality field.