Dante Stakes

In a rare diversion from the domination of the breeding superpowers this season, the Dante Stakes was a triumph for David and Lavinia Aykroyd, English owner-breeders with four broodmares at their disposal. And for the second year in a row, Yorkshire's key Derby trial went to a colt raised in the county at Copgrove Hall Stud. The Ralph Beckett-trained Pride Of Arras is out of the Oasis Dream mare Parnell's Dream, who is also an Aykroyd homebred and a boarder at the Harrogate farm formerly owned by Guy Reed, which...

The six-length G2 Dante S. winner Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will not be supplemented for the Betfred Derby a week on Saturday with trainer William Haggas fearing the Classic test will come too soon.  The long-striding chestnut colt, owned by Isa Salman Al Khalifa, ran just once at two last November and returned in late April to win a Newbury maiden before heading to York on May 16.  Economics had been taken out of the Derby entries before the Dante but had been listed as second-favourite for Epsom...

International bloodstock agent Alastair Donald, who purchased Thursday's G2 Dante S. winner The Foxes  (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) on behalf of the King Power team, is backing the colt to get the Derby trip at Epsom.  The Foxes was cut into a general 8-1 chance for Derby glory after winning the key trial at York for trainer Andrew Balding and the in-form jockey Oisin Murphy.  He hails from a family the connections know well, given the half-brother Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) carried the blue and white silks of King Power with...