Twelve have been confirmed for next Thursday’s Group 2 Dante Stakes, at York’s opening meeting of the season.
Charlie Appleby's Ancient Wisdom will be hoping to establish himself as a leading Derby contender alongside stablemate Arabian Crown, who sits at the top of the Derby market. Ancient Wisdom relished the step up to a mile at the back end of his juvenile season, winning the Group 3 Autumn Stakes before a comfortable success in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
He could face up to three rivals from the Ballydoyle yard, with Aidan O'Brien entering Diego Velazquez, Chief Little Rock and Cambridge. Karl Burke's Caviar Heights is an interesting outsider for the Derby field at this stage, following an easy victory in the Listed Newmarket Stakes during the Guineas Festival. He has the potential to improve further, and deserves a try in Group company.
The weather has been kind to York ahead of their opening meeting, and the fixture could be looking at ideal conditions, despite rain forecast at the start of next week.
"We're the quick side of good at the moment after a nice sunny week that is due to continue through the weekend," said William Derby, clerk of the course and Chief Executive.
"But the weather system changes the early part of next week and we are expecting rain Monday and Tuesday. For racing it is a mixture of sunshine and showers and it will be slightly cooler than of late as we move from a high-pressure system to a low-pressure system.
"It's natural ground and as everyone knows we have had a wet winter and spring. It's just dried up and warmed up nicely over the last 10 days. We're happy with where it is at the moment and will just keep an eye on the rain that will on Monday and Tuesday which will put the ground spot on for racing."
