Best Bets For York Dante Festival – Friday 19th May 2017

It is day three up at York on the Knavesmire and it's been hard work this week so far! Some old friends are on show with the Group Two Yorkshire Cup being the main event.

There is a couple of Listed heats to get us underway the first being the Langleys Solicitors British EBF Marygate Fillies' Stakes at 2.20 for two-year-olds. Plenty of potential here but the race is best watched rather than punted on. At 2.55 we have the Longines Irish Champions Weekend Fillies' Stakes basically over a mile (7 furlongs 192 yards to be precise). Urban Fox was on my mind for this having been running well at a much higher level, eighth in the 1,000 Guineas having run second in the G.2 Dubai Duty Free Stakes (tipped on here) but she won’t line-up. I won’t be having a bet now but will be keeping an eye on Dancing Breeze to see how she goes having looked potentially decent winning on debut. On Her Toes won on the soft at two so could go well if the rain keeps up.

Run over 1m6f the Group Two Yorkshire Cup is at 3.30. Peter Niven is happy there has rain around ahead of Clever Cookie's defence of his crown. Talking earlier this week he said "The idea is to run, a drop more rain would be nice. He is in great form with himself, but is behind in his work."  Triple G Dirty Dozen member Endless Time is in the line-up for an in-form Charlie Appleby yard. She won the G.2 Lancashire Oaks on her seasonal bow last term before being well held in the G.1 Yorkshire Oaks. She went close when 2nd in the G. 1 Prix Vermeille at Chantilly in September and was second again back in France at Saint Cloud in the G.1 Prix Royal-Oak stepping up to 1m7f in October. She goes on good and soft ground, see Lancashire Oaks win, and of course gets the slight weight for sex allowance here. I am on at 6-1. Dartmouth is feared.

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