Equinties - York day 3

Gm Equinauts

Final day of the York Dante meeting and boy oh boy it’s been a good one.

We go again.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

LION WAITING TO POUNCE

Aidan O’Brien was probably getting a bit bored of winning all of these Classic Trials, so he had to make sure one of them got beaten, right!?

Hot fave and lead Derby contender THE LION IN WINTER was defeated in the Grade 2 Dante Stakes yesterday, and you can’t say this wasn’t telegraphed.

His stunted prep was known about, Aidan O’Brien said he would need it, Michael Tabor said he wouldn’t back him, and Bet365 Super Boosted him. How many more signs do punters need!?

The big question is whether he can still win a Derby?

O’Brien didn’t seem bothered that he was beaten yesterday, and he is the master. He knows how to get horses back from a big defeat to win the Derby, case and point, AUGUSTE RODIN and CITY OF TROY, so, by absolutely no means should he be written off.

That said, he is a different horse from the two previously-mentioned Ballydoyle Derby winners.

Firstly, and this our view only, he looks like more of a speed horse. He’s a short-legged horse who does look like more of a speedier type than what you would like to see in a Derby horse. Both CITY OF TROY and AUGUSTE RODIN had something about them when it came to galloping and stamina; THE LION IN WINTER is yet to prove this. More, he did break the course record when he won the Acomb over seven furlongs!

We think he should go to the St James’ Palace.

He’s now lost in a Dante and will have to step up in trip again at Epsom. That’s enough questions to worry about him for the Derby.

As for the rest of the race, of course, PRIDE OF ARRAS looked good. Judging but his turn of foot and pedigree, we feel he should go back to Sandown where he won first time out and tackle to Eclipse in July, then back to York for the Juddmonte International. That’s a better gap between races than the Derby.

DAMYSUS is a winner in waiting and it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see him reverse the form with PRIDE OF ARRAS at some stage this season if they ever meet again. He looks like a horse who is always learning, and he would have learnt a lot from passing rivals from the rear of the field. He was given plenty to do by Kieran Shoemark (a recurring theme for the jockey this season) and still stayed on to finish second. We will catch him at a price soon!

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