Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes |
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| Group 2, York 16:05 £180,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 2f 56y, Class 1  |
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1 Item 11/2
2
Action 4/1
3
Christmas Day 11/4F
8 ran Distances: 2¾l, 1¾l, 1¼l
Time: 2m 10.80s (slow by 2.50s)
Unbeaten record retained 🔥
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 14, 2026
Item lands the 2026 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes for @JuddmonteFarms & @AndrewBalding2 under @ctkjockey 🏆 pic.twitter.com/f4HGYaonA7
Item enhanced his Betfred Derby claims by maintaining his unbeaten record with an impressive victory.
The Andrew Balding-trained son of Frankel arrived on the Knavesmire unbeaten in two juvenile starts and was sent off at 11-2 for his seasonal return in what is widely regarded as the premier trial for next month’s Derby at Epsom.
Colin Keane produced a confident ride aboard the Juddmonte-owned colt, sticking to the far side alongside long-time leader Action while much of the field edged towards the stands rail.
Once asked to quicken inside the final furlong, Item immediately asserted, pulling two and three-quarter lengths clear of Action, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Christmas Day, the 11-4 favourite, finishing third.
The victory provided Juddmonte with a second major Classic contender in as many days following Legacy Link’s Musidora Stakes success 24 hours earlier, and Coral reacted by cutting Item to 5-1 for the Derby.
Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon said: “That was only his third start and his first run of the season.
“He works nicely at home, but he’s not flashy, so we weren’t entirely sure where we stood. That was a very good performance.
“We’ve won a Derby trial, so the obvious next step is Epsom. Juddmonte breed and buy horses to compete at the top level and the Derby remains one of the greatest races in the world.
“Colin said he felt like a horse who would stay further, so we’ll discuss things with the owners, but hopefully they’ll want to head to Epsom.”
Mahon added: “There have been some very good winners of the trials at Chester and Lingfield, but this horse has done nothing wrong. He’s three from three and keeps answering every question.
“We came here today not fully knowing where we were going next, but I thought that was a hugely impressive seasonal debut.”
Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes (Group 2)
£180,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 2f 56y, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good
Previous Winners
