John and Thady Gosden expecting big things from Magisterial in York's Dante Stakes
It’s that time of year again, York’s Dante Festival is upon us. That means that, once again, the Gosdens remain the ones to follow in the biggest race of the meeting the Dante Stakes.
The Festival's feature race, the Dante Stakes, is staged on the Thursday, the middle day of the three, and the Group 2 contest looks likely to include Magisterial, trained by the Gosdens. If he takes his chance, the son of the great Frankel will by partnered by Frankie Dettori.
Golden Horn
When the sole training licensee, John Gosden sent the brilliant Golden Horn north to lift the prize in 2015.
Like Magesterial, it was also the son of Cape Cross's third career start and he caused a minor surprise by beating stablemate and favourite Jack Hobbs, under Frankie Dettori, readily.
(Golden Horn) ⚫️⚪️
— Racing Tales (@Racing_Tales) May 12, 2020
Dante Stakes 2015 pic.twitter.com/0bHN9YnjNH
Wings Of Desire
That set the ball rolling on a sequence of three wins inside four years for Gosden, who followed up successfully a year later when Wings Of Desire carried Dettori to success at 9/1.
Once again, the winner beat his better-fancied stablemate, this time Foundation, into third.
Roaring Lion
Gosden had no runner in the race in 2017, so completed a hat-trick of sorts by then producing Roaring Lion to win another Dante in 2018.
This time he was the preferred candidate of the two fielded by the great trainer, and was in fact the 3/1 market leader. Crossed Baton, under Dettori, finished seventh.
That was another magnificent season but it's not all been plain sailing for John Gosden.
(Roaring Lion) 🦁
— Racing Tales (@Racing_Tales) May 13, 2020
Dante Stakes 2018 pic.twitter.com/2KhOPKlHdx
Benny The Dip
Gosden's first winner of the Dante was in 1997 with Benny The Dip.
He'd been beaten in his first run of the season and arrived at York with his trainer suggested he'd be ridden to stay and we'd see if he was good enough.
Olivier Peslier was on board that day and rode to instructions, asking his mount to go on from some way out and holding the field for a comfortable success by more than two lengths.
Buoyed by this, connections decided the Derby would be his next target and the same tactics would be employed. It worked a treat...just!
Always prominent, jockey Willie Ryan (who had got the mount because both Peslier and Frankie Dettori had looked elsewhere) kicked him clear as they left Tattenham Corner behind and opened up a six-length lead on the field.
However, Silver Patriarch came out of the pack to chase him down but Ryan and Benny The Dip just had enough. After an agonising wait, the judge called them the short-head winners of the 1997 Derby.
Recent Dante Stakes flops
In 2019, Gosden saddled the red hot favourite Too Darn Hot, who has been a precocious juvenile, winning the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.
However, the son of Dubawi met with defeat for the first time in the Dante, finishing a length second to 7/1 chance Telecaster, a result which meant he ended up swerving the Derby.
Despite the occasional reverse, it's pretty obvious that the Gosdens are very much a stable to keep on the right side of in the Dante.
They take this race more seriously than most (other big stables have runners but often their preferred Derby candidates run in other trials).
With three winners and two seconds from six attempts in the last seven years, whatever they run in the race merits huge respect.
Magisterial is rated just 99 by the BHA handicapper at present but it would be a surprise if he does not emerge from the race with a significantly higher mark, which will probably mean another big run for another Gosden entrant.
🥇 One back for @oismurphy!
— Casumo Sports (@CasumoSports) October 15, 2021
The reigning champ is now two ahead in the title race as Magisterial wins smartly.
📍 Casumo Horse Racing and Sports Betting EBF Novice Stakes, @haydockraces.pic.twitter.com/RPF3KhJuRt