Turf Topics: Dante gets season off to a flier

TRADITIONALISTS insist the Lincoln Handicap is the harbinger of Spring and the Flat season, those whose affinities lie with Newmarket tell us that Guineas weekend is the start of business but for any Yorkshire race-goer the place where the season really explodes into top-class action is York's Dante Festival which opens today.

Three days of top-class racing will have the old Knavesmire resounding to the cheers of thousands with quality contests like the Totesport Dante Stakes, the Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup, the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes being joined this year by the Totesport.com Middleton Stakes, which has this year been upgraded to Group Two level and has attracted the brilliant Sariska and Midday.

The old adversaries head a small but highly select field of five for tomorrow's race.

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The pair met twice last term with Sariska, trained by Michael Bell, coming out on top in both the English and Irish Oaks.

"That should be one of the highlights of the Festival," said William Derby, York's managing director and clerk of the course, who reported ticket and hospitality sales were both up on last year.

"The uptake on our newly-developed Melrose Club Lounge has been particularly gratifying," he added.

Rain last week and the hard work of York staff, who last year were awarded the Pitchcare Neil Wyatt award for outstanding turf husbandry, have ensured that the racing surface is in excellent shape for the first meeting of the year at York – "the course is looking a picture," said Derby – and despite the failure of forecast showers to show up yesterday there are no plans to water the course at this stage.

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The buzz at York yesterday was almost tangible and will have been replicated at many stables across the country where trainers and staff know the value of a victory at the Knavesmire, not only in financial terms but in prestige.

That applies, too, to every yard in Yorkshire, from the massive operations run by Mark Johnston and Richard Fahey to the challengers in terms of numbers like Tim Easterby, Kevin Ryan and John Quinn to the smaller teams such as those headed by Ruth Carr, Tim Pitt and Robin Bastiman; a winner at York gives everyone concerned a spring in their step.

Down the years, trainers have not come much bigger than Henry Cecil and Sir Michael Stoute and the latter is optimistic of making a pre-Epsom impression with Eleanora Duse in today's Musidora and Workforce in the Dante itself.

Eleanora Duse's only run so far this year ended in defeat at Ripon and, rated just 81, she will have to make substantial improvement on that performance if she is to prevail today and earn a run in the Oaks but Stoute is in confident mood.

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"We are being a little bit ambitious with Eleanora Duse but she is from a very good Ballymacoll family so we are going to have a cut at it. She has a bit to find on previous form but she is in good shape," he said.

Stoute has slight concerns over the ground for tomorrow's Dante, not wanting anything firm for the favourite Workforce. The colt has not run this year but his trainer said: "We are keen to get his season started. He is not spectacular at home but he has been giving us more encouragement of late. He is a big horse and first time up we would not want ground that is too fast."

Cecil was typically understated as he discussed the chances of stable star Midday, a winner at the Breeders Cup last autumn, in the Middleton. "She may need the race," he said. "So far, she has required a run to bring her to her best."

He was similarly frank about the chances of Aviate, unbeaten in her previous two starts, in today's Musidora. "We will see if she is up to us thinking of maybe the French Oaks. That is if she stays, which I believe she could. Let's hope I am right."

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Cecil's other standard bearer this week is Manifest in Friday's Yorkshire Cup. Second to Harbinger in the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury in April, Manifest is considered a potential Group One winner by his trainer.

"Manifest is very well in himself and we will see on Friday if there is any chance of having the Ascot Gold Cup as an objective for him," he said.

The first day of the Dante meeting always promises plenty of competitive action, but one horse that stands out is Henry Cecil's Rigidity in the concluding theripleycollection.com Handicap.

A half-brother to former Derby second Dragon Dancer, the Indian Ridge colt showed plenty of promise on his debut as a juvenile in coming second at Newmarket, and followed that up with a solid victory at Yarmouth in September.

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Stepped up to today's trip for his reappearance at Doncaster, he travelled sweetly through the race only to find Dandino too good, and that run is likely to have brought him on significantly.

Many eyes will be on Aidan O'Brien's Australian import Starspangledbanner in the Duke Of York Stakes, but as he has only had 67 days to acclimatise, it may be worth taking him on with the much more locally-trained Inxile.

Sessay handler Dandy Nicholls had the five-year-old firing on all cylinders in the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster in March and if he is allowed to blast away in front as he did that day, he will take some pegging back.

O'Brien looks to have every chance in the big Oaks trial, the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes, as Cabaret makes her first appearance of the season.

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The Galileo filly was sublime in a Group 3 at Leopardstown last July, cantering home over four lengths clear, but all went wrong in the Prix Marcel Boussac as her saddle slipped and she came home last.

Barring any mishaps on her return, she could prove a tough nut to crack, with this longer trip likely to suit her ideally.

The meeting kicks off with the 66 Of Free Bets At bluequare.com Handicap and while Forte Dei Marmi will be popular after his Newbury romp, he may prove vulnerable off a 12lb higher mark, so Tartan Gunna looks the pick.

Mark Johnston's charge has been kept busy early on this season, and though yet to score this term, he has been in excellent form.

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Two third-placed finishes at Epsom and Pontefract were followed by a close fifth behind stablemate Tartan Gigha at Newmarket and a 1lb drop and a furlong longer trip could allow him to notch that elusive win.