Soccer

Aidan O'Brien hoping his quartet is on fire for Dante at York

The Dante Stakes at York is fast approaching and Aidan O'Brien has four big hopes aiming to take the historic Group 2 on the Knavesmire. Point Lonsdale leads the Ballydoyle charge.

Aidan O'Brien is going mob handed to the Group 2 at Dante at York on Thursday, May 12.

The prestigious one mile, two and a half furlong contest serves at the gateway to the Summer flat racing season.

Ballydoyle trainer O'Brien will send four of the 14 runners to York with his team spearheaded by Point Lonsdale, who finished 10th in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket recently.

O'Brien has already won the ten furlong race four times but has waited for another win since Cape Blanco in 2010.
Other than Point Lonsdale, Ballydoye have entered Galileo colt Bluegrass, Dubawi colt Sussex and Shark Bay, who is sired by Australia.

Meanwhile, Sir Michael Stoute's Desert Crown has only been raced the once but has been well supported in the market, while John and Thady Gosden's Magesterial goes in the Bjorn Neilson Stradivarius silks.

Jame Ferguson sends Group 1 winner El Bodegon, with the in-form Charlie Appleby keeping in Linfield Derby Trial possible Walk Of Stars  alongside fellow Godolphin runner of Saeeed bin Suroor's White Wolf, a winner on debut at Southwell.

Mark and Charlie Johnston's Royal Patronage is another who finished down the field in the Guineas but remains the only horse to have beaten Coroebus, the eventual winner of the Classic.

Kevin Ryan's Night Of Thunder colt Dark Moon Rising, Sean Wood's Savvy Victory,  Masekela of the Andrew Balding yard and Kingmax (David Loughnane) also may go to post on Thursday.

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