Hurricane Lane bursts into Derby picture with Dante Stakes victory

The last major Derby trial unearthed a credible opponent for Bolshoi Ballet, the warm favourite for the Classic, here on Thursday, as Hurricane Lane maintained his unbeaten record with a determined three-quarter length success in the Group Two Dante Stakes. High Definition, the Derby favourite throughout the winter, could finish only third on his first start since September.

Hurricane Lane’s attitude was perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Thursday’s race. Both the winner and High Definition were outpaced when Hollie Doyle, on the front-running Roman Empire, briefly went clear around three furlongs out, but William Buick’s mount dug deep to launch a sustained run to lead approaching the final furlong and then found more when Megallan briefly drew alongside a few seconds later.

High Definition, meanwhile, looked more like a Leger horse than a potential Derby winner as he stayed on well in the closing stages, having taken much longer than Hurricane Lane to work through the gears.

“I think what this horse has in his locker is that he will improve for a mile-and-a-half [at Epsom],” Buick said. “Everything he does, he does it right, he went through the gears nicely and when he got company he battled back [and] he did that at Newbury [last month], too.

“He’s gone from strength to strength, he’s improved with every run and has taken every run well, he’s got a really good mind. I can’t see much more you could ask of him.

“Obviously he’ll have to step up again [in the Derby], we all know that, but at least he’s got the experience now and he’ll get a mile-and-a-half. He travels well and is well-balanced, obviously he hasn’t been to Epsom but I’m not too worried [about his ability to act on the track].”

Despite finishing two lengths behind Hurricane Lane on Thursday, High Definition is still a shorter price for the Derby at around 9-2, with Charlie Appleby’s colt now priced up at around 7-1 (from 16-1) and Bolshoi Ballet a solid favourite at 7-4. William Haggas’s Mohaafeth is a 6-1 chance and it is 12-1 bar the four.

Only Aidan O’Brien will know for sure how much work High Definition missed after a poor blood test 10 days ago but he should certainly progress for Thursday’s race, assuming he heads to Epsom.

Hurricane Lane’s pre-Epsom profile, however, is now very similar to that of Golden Horn, the 2015 Dante and Derby winner, with three wins from three starts, and many backers who want an each-way alternative to Bolshoi Ballet will look no further.

A small field of five goes to post for the Group Two Yorkshire Cup at York on Friday but it is a more competitive heat than the recent renewals in which Stradivarius dominated the market.

Sir Ron Priestley, the runner-up in the 2019 St Leger, is the most interesting runner in the field, having returned after missing his four-year-old season with comfortable victories at Nottingham and Newmarket.

He is an 8-1 chance to deny Stradivarius a fourth Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and is a decent price at around 13-8 on Friday to confirm that he will be a serious rival to the champion stayer next month.

York 1.40 It is little more than guesswork to assess how much improvement some of these juvenile fillies might find, not least as seven of the 13 runners were winners last time out. Instinction can be only a tentative pick but she overcame a slow start and greenness to spring a surprise on her debut in April and has perhaps been underestimated in the betting at around 12-1.

York 2.10 This is much tougher than the maiden which Snow Lantern landed at Newbury in April, a win which saw her briefly cut to around 10-1 for the 1,000 Guineas before Richard Hannon decided to steer her around the Classic. Love Is You, third home in the Nell Gwynn and just behind Saffron Beach, the Guineas runner-up, brings Group-class form and could be her sternest opponent, but Snow Lantern looked potentially top-class last time and can find the necessary improvement to continue her march to the top.

Newbury 2.25 Barbill put up a big effort on his first start since September to finish second in a decent race at Kempton with subsequent winner May Sonic – the narrow favourite for this race – nearly four lengths adrift. He is 4lb better off with that rival here and arguably open to more improvement for the run.

Quick Guide Greg Wood’s Friday tips Show

Newmarket 1.00 Dashing Dick 1.35 Glenn Coco 2.15 Tenbury Wells 2.50 Soto Sizzler 3.20 Derab 3.50 Mumtaaz 4.20 Bezzas Lad 

Newbury 1.15 Achelois 1.50 Gisburn 2.25 Barbill 2.55 Badlands 3.25 Potenza 3.55 General Lee 4.25 Annandale 4.55 Blackcastle Storm

York 1.40 Instinction 2.10 Snow Lantern 2.40 Blue Cup (nap) 3.10 Sir Ron Priestley 3.40 Shawaamekh (nb) 4.15 Kook Moe Dee 4.50 Happy

Aintree 5.20 Onagatheringstorm 5.50 Solar Impulse 6.25 Giovanni Change 7.00 Johnbb 7.35 Quiet Flow 8.05 A Little Chaos 8.35 Crews Pitch  

Hamilton 5.35 Ryan’s Party 6.10 Howzer Black 6.40 The King’s Steed 7.15 Notation 7.45 Flavius Titus 8.20 The Retriever 8.50 Quanah

York 2.40 Blue Cup ran into all manner of traffic problems on his return to action at Epsom last month and finished full of running, less than two-and-a-half lengths behind the winner. The Knavesmire should give his rider more room to work with, he is off the same mark and must go very close if he is in anything like that form.

York 3.40 Shawaamekh has been a bit in-and-out since a quickfire double in the summer of 2019, but one of those wins was over track and trip and the other was off a 2lb higher mark than today’s. His first run after a wind-op, at Chester last week, was his best for some time and he does not have much to find from today’s mark to make an impact. Greg Wood