Passenger heads to Dante Festival at York
- Planet Sport writer
- 12 May 2023
Is Passenger on course for a crack at the Epsom Derby after being supplemented for the Dante Stakes at York next week?
Sir Michael Stoute's Passenger has been supplemented for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes, with 14 in contention for the York feature.
An impressive winner of the Wood Ditton at Newmarket on debut, it has cost connections £14,000 to add the son of Ulysees into the Betfred Derby trial, which Stoute has won on seven occasions and landed 12 months ago with subsequent Epsom hero Desert Crown.
Passenger would also have to be supplemented into the Derby itself if passing his Knavesmire assignment, something successfully done eight years ago by Golden Horn.
Golden Horn is one of three winners for John Gosden in the last 10 years and alongside son Thady, the Clarehaven team could be represented by Blue Riband Trial winner Epictetus this time around.
Flying Honours looks most likely to run for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin with stablemate Military Order declared for Lingfield on Saturday, while Charlie Johnston already has one Derby candidate in the form of 2000 Guineas fifth Dubai Mile and could bid to add a second string to his bow with Dear My Friend.
Winner of the Burradon Stakes last time, the colt's owners, Middleham Park Racing, are now dreaming of further glory.
"We've got lots of excited owners on our hands at the moment. Very much the dream is still alive! We'll have a big crowd there next Thursday and they're just really excited, just to see how his season develops," said Middleham Park's Mike Prince.
"The syndicate were absolutely delighted with his run at Newcastle - the form is working out nicely,"
"Him and Flight Plan had a ding-dong battle in the final furlong but he was quite comfortably on top in the last 100 yards and looked to be extending away.
"He's got a lovely, long stride on him and we think that stride-length will come into play when we step him up to a mile and two. We're pretty adamant that the step up in trip will suit him."
Cairo and Continuous are possibles for Aidan O'Brien, while John Joseph Murphy's Ballysax winner White Birch is another potential raider from Ireland.
Canberra Legend was a taking winner of the Feilden Stakes and could bid to get his Classic ticket stamped, with the Craven Stakes form represented by Andrew Balding's The Foxes and Roger Teal's Dancing Magic, who finished second and third respectively at Newmarket.
In the supporting Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes, the Gosdens have added Free Wind to the line-up at a cost of £11,200, but their star filly Nashwa is a notable absentee.
A maximum of eight will head to post in the 10-furlong contest, with German Oaks winner Toskana Belle a possible to make her debut for Roger Varian and Richard Hannon's track-and-trip scorer Aristia another name of note.
