Botti Planning Naadirr Zenith

The curtain rises on York’s Dante Festival today and the opening card’s highlight, the G2 Duke of York Clipper Logistics S., has attracted its customary large field. Newmarket conditioner Marco Botti has yet to claim victory in the six-furlong dash, but has a live contender for this open renewal in the shape of Naadirr (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s 425,000gns TATOCT yearling broke through at stakes level when annexing the Sept. 7 Listed Garrowby S. over this strip and returned this term with an impressive score in the Mar. 28 Listed Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster last time. “The York sprint has been his target since that victory and he is in top shape ahead of his stiffest task to date,” explained Botti. “The Doncaster race has worked out very well and it looks strong form. He likes a flat track, which is why we gave Newmarket a miss and decided to go straight to York. He won at York last season and goes there in good form. I hope the ground is good; there isn’t any rain forecast so hopefully it dries out a little. He has got the pedigree to be a proper sprinter and I was really pleased how he did physically from three to four. Everything he has done so far suggests that he is ready for a step up in grade and Wednesday will tell us whether we can then aim at Group 1s.” Astaire (Ire) (Intense Focus), winner of the 2013 G1 Middle Park S. and runner-up to Naadirr at Doncaster, was second in this event last year, but endured a winless 2014 racing at group level in all six outs. He bolstered the Cammidge form with an enterprising score in the Apr. 16 G3 Abernant S. at Newmarket. “He was a class act at two, but like many sprinters he found life difficult at three,” said trainer Kevin Ryan. “He did well over the winter and is much stronger now. The Abernant has brought him on and he aims to go one better than last season. He’s in very good order.”Lightning Moon (Ire) (Shamardal) was untested as a juvenile, but took his record to a perfect three-for-three when garnering Ascot’s Oct. 4 G3 Bengough S. in his latest start. The bay will make his debut for Godolphin in this seasonal bow and needs to overcome a seven-month absence. The overseas raiding party numbers two; Edward Lynam trainee Gathering Power (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}), who ran fourth in the Apr. 6 Listed Cork S., and last term’s G3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise victor Gammarth (Fr) (Layman), who lines up for the Henri-Alex Pantall stable coming off a third in the Mar. 27 Listed Prix Cor de Chasse at Fontainebleau.