Group Two entries for Dante Festival at York

The winners of all four Group Two races at the 2024 Dante Festival each went on to be Group One victors by Christmas.

With the entries for 2025 confirmed as below, we know who might follow; Mill Stream - 1895 Duke of York Clipper Logistics & July Cup, Bluestocking - Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Middleton & Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Economics- Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Dante & Irish Champions Stakes, Giavellotto- Boodles Yorkshire Cup & Hong Kong Vase.

Trainer James Fanshawe has outlined that crack speedster Kind Of Blue could start off his 2025 campaign in the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York on 14 May.

The Blue Point colt cemented himself as a top-class performer when landing the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October. 

His feat emulated victory in the same race by two close relatives, Deacon Blues and The Tin Man, both of whom were also trained by Fanshawe.

The Wathnan Racing-owned Kind Of Blue is now being prepared for his four-year-old campaign and this week has been entered in the Group 2 staged on the Knavesmire and carrying an overall purse of £150,000.

He is one of three horses among the 34-strong entry who would have to shoulder a 5lb penalty for a Group 1 success after 31 August, 2024.

Newmarket-based Fanshawe said: “York is a possibility – it will either be York or the Curragh.

“He had a good three-year-old career and capped it off by winning the Champions Sprint at Ascot, which he deserved after some near-misses.

“Deacon Blues and The Tin Man improved significantly from three to four, so I hope Kind Of Blue takes after them. It’s a family trait – on the whole, they tend to improve from three to four.

“Physically, he’s done well over the winter. Most trainers say that about their star horse, but he looks really well.

“He’s been doing plenty of conditioning work on Warren Hill. He’s done plenty of strong canters but he hasn’t galloped yet.” 

The opening day of the Knavesmire season sees the sprinters in the limelight. Alongside Kind Of Blue in the entry for the 1895 Duke Of York Clipper Stakes is a two-time Knavesmire winner Starlust, also successful at last year’s Breeders’ Cup. Yorkshire-trained Art Power, a past Group 1 hero, could line up for trainer Tim Easterby, while Montassib is another who has struck at York (Coral Sprint Trophy Handicap) and at the top table. 

Thursday 15 May sees a pair of famous contests both backed by Al Basti Equiworld Dubai. For older fillies and mares, success in the Middleton has often heralded a golden summer. Last year’s winner Kalpana signed off for 2024 by succeeding at Ascot in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Day Fillies & Mares Stakes. Another York course and distance winner is Secret Satire who took the 2024 running of the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes. Her Majesty the Queen, Royal Patron of York Racecourse, would be particularly pleased to see Rainbows Edge lift the trophy having carried the royal silks.

With eight dual Dante/Derby winners already in the pedigree book, it is no surprise that the top-10 in the betting markets for the Epsom Blue Riband are potentials for the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Dante Stakes. These include the first three home in last August’s Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, headed by impressive winner The Lion In Winter.

Friday means the focus shifts to the staying division. A fascinating Boodles Yorkshire Cup could unfold as entries include a pair of former Sky Bet Ebor winners in Trawlerman and Absurde, the last two winners of the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes – Continuous and Illinois – and Term Of Endearment (now trained by William Haggas), who won the 2024 renewal of the Group 3 William Hill Bronte Stakes over course and distance.

By mid-May, four more names will have earned the right to join the Dante Festival’s illustrious roll of honour.