Too Darn Hot and Frankie Dettori high-class field for Dante Stakes at York

TOO Darn Hot will face seven rivals when he makes his eagerly-awaited reappearance in what promises to be a high-class renewal of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.
Too Darn Hot and Frankie Dettori head the field for York's Dante Stakes.Too Darn Hot and Frankie Dettori head the field for York's Dante Stakes.
Too Darn Hot and Frankie Dettori head the field for York's Dante Stakes.

Too Darn Hot will face seven rivals when he makes his eagerly-awaited reappearance in what promises to be a high-class renewal of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

John Gosden’s colt was the undoubted star of the juvenile division last season, winning each of his four starts. These included the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on St Leger day and then the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

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Owned and bred by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and his wife Madeleine, he spent the winter as red-hot favourite for the 2000 Guineas, but was ruled out of an intended trial run in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury and ultimately missed the first colts’ Classic of the season.

There is still a chance the Dubawi colt could bid for Classic glory, however, with Gosden hoping to discover in Thursday’s 10-furlong Group Two whether his speedy Dubawi colt could step up to a mile and a half in the Investec Derby at Epsom.

Gosden also runs outsider Turgenev.

Aidan O’Brien has dominated the Derby trials so far this spring and sends Japan into battle in the latest of them.

The Galileo colt makes his first competitive start since touching off stablemate Mount Everest in the Beresford Stakes at Naas in September.

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Godolphin hopes rest on the Charlie Appleby-trained Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf victor Line Of Duty.

Roger Varian saddles the 14-length Newcastle winner Surfman, while Hughie Morrison is represented by the impressive Windsor scorer Telecaster.

Almania (Sir Michael Stoute) and Nayef Road, for Middleham trainer Mark Johnston, complete the quality field.