These early summer weekly racing festivals are coming thick and fast.
Hot on the heels of last week’s always appealing three days from Chester comes York’s Dante Festival, which gets under way on Wednesday with the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes and Musidora Stakes, a Group 3 for three-year-old fillies, as the highlights.
For a betting medium, the last race on the card looks attractive, with a short-priced favourite in Official Style there to be shot at.
The Dansili colt is clearly highly-rated by trainer Sir Michael Stoute but he is still a maiden after four runs and was beaten at 10/3 for a similar contest at Newmarket recently, so he could be underpriced again today.
We’re looking down the bottom of the handicap and Mark Tompkins’s FORGOTTEN ARMY. All three runs last season were over seven furlongs and it’s uncertain whether he will really benefit from the step-up to a mile and a quarter – his sire is Arakan, whose progeny is often seen to best effect over sprint distances.
The form of his maiden has worked out well with second-placed Verdant – also trained by Stoute – going on to win his next two, including a handicap off 80 three weeks ago.
Forgotten Army effectively runs off 71 today (he’s rated 70 but is one pound out of the handicap) so he could have been underestimated by the handicapper and he has the assistance of exceptional young jockey William Buick.
Elsewhere, Europe’s football attention is on the Europa League final where Fulham will hope to end an exceptional season with victory over Atletico Madrid.
Take a chance on Ireland star DAMIEN DUFF, who has scored nine times since joining the Cottagers last August, to cap his best season in years by opening the scoring in Hamburg.
JOE’s Daily Double: Forgotten Army (York, 4.55 @ 14/1) & Damien Duff (Europa League final, first scorer @ 14/1)
