The Dante Festival gets underway at York on Wednesday.(credit:
riffraff1)
Another busy week on the flat is ahead of us, with York's popular May meeting and top class action from Leopardstown and Newbury. Live-horseracing brings us the highlights of the next seven days.
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Monday May 10
Windsor
6:40 sportingbet.com Royal Windsor Stakes
A small field for this highlight of Windsor's evening meeting, but it should be an interesting contest with established Group level performers Beacon Lodge and Ordnance Row taking on a trio of useful handicappers.
Wednesday May 12
York
2:40 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes
The feature race on the first day of York's popular Dante Festival is a classy Group Three event for fillies, run over a touch further than ten furlongs and regarded as one of the leading Oaks trials.
3:10 Duke of York Blue Square Stakes
This race is often regarded as the starting point for the very best sprinters to launch their summer campaigns. It usually attracts a sizeable field of high class speedsters and the resulting cavalry charge along the straight and galloping six furlongs is an exciting spectacle.
Naas
7:10 Blue Wind Stakes
This Group Three event is an interesting ten furlong contest for fillies and mares that is named after the double Oaks winner of 1981.
Thursday May 13
York
2:10 totesport.com Middleton Stakes
A Group Three event for older fillies and mares, this usually features a small field but the presence of top class horses Sariska and Midday make it a race not to be missed.
2:40 totesport Dante Stakes
The Dante is arguably the most important of all the Derby trials, with an impeccable recent record of producing leading contenders for Classic glory. Any colt running well in this event is likely to shorten dramatically in price for the Epsom showpiece.
3:10 totesport Hambleton Handicap
This Listed mile event usually features a big field and should be a cracking race to watch, although a tricky one for punters to unravel.
Friday May 14
York
1:40 Langleys Solicitors Marygate Fillies Stakes
This is a Listed race for two-year-old fillies that is always worth watching as it can sometimes throw up a serious contender for the Queen Mary Stakes at the Royal meeting.
2:40 Emirates Airline Yorkshire Cup
One of the most popular betting events of the meeting, this Group Two fourteen furlong test is the first target of the season for the very best of the stayers and is the highlight of the final day of the meeting.
3:10 Michael Seeley Memorial Stakes
This is an interesting little Listed event run over a mile for promising fillies
Newbury
2:20 Berkshire Blind Society Carnarvon Stakes
A six furlong Listed sprint confined to three year olds that may showcase a sprinting star or two of the future.
2:55 Swettenham Stud Fillies' Trial Stakes
The last of the recognised Oaks trials, this is a Listed contest over ten furlongs for three-year-old fillies.
Hamilton
7:25 Totepool Glasgow Stakes
An interesting race that at one time formed part of the York meeting and that was considered a significant Derby trial. It now represents an opportunity for those three-year-olds likely to be found wanting at the very top level.
8:00 Belstane Racing Stables Braveheart Handicap
A Listed handicap run over a mile-and-a-half that usually attracts a competitive field.
Saturday May 15
Newbury
2:00 totepool Aston Park Stakes
A classy Listed race run over just further than thirteen furlongs and likely to feature a handful of decent stayers
2:30 totesport.com Lockinge Stakes
Always one of the early season highlights, this Group One is usually a fiercely contested gallop with no hiding place as a field of top class milers battle down the middle of the wide Berkshire track. Paco Boy is the clear antepost favourite.