York Dante Festival: Horses To Follow | Eyecatchers from the Knavesmire

JUST FINE | Click for full profile and to add to My Stable

It’s fair to say JUST FINE bumped into a couple of sorts in the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap at York on Wednesday.

William Haggas’ Gaassee was backed as if defeat was out of the question and he always looked like justifying 6/4 favouritism as he had bags in hand. Kevin Ryan’s Forza Orta was second best in the market and second best in the race after running a stormer from a low weight.

There was no disgrace in being beaten by those two and Just Fine ran as his name suggests, with the promise of plenty more to come.

Slowly away and eased into the contest gradually by Ryan Moore, he was short of room two furlongs out but then stayed on well to be best of the rest with his jockey easing him home with the front two uncatchable.

His first run for 223 days, he should come on significantly for this and the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap for older horses over 1m4f at Royal Ascot looks a logical next step.

PREMIER POWER | Click for full profile and to add to My Stable

It’s worth re-watching the Churchill Tyres Handicap and taking a look at the run of Tim Easterby’s new recruit PREMIER POWER.

Formerly with Roger Varian, the King Power-owned horse has arrived at Easterby’s rated 94, 4lb lower than his all-weather mark, and he’s worth keeping an eye on after an encouraging first run for his new yard.

The 50/1 shot breaks from stall 14 under Rob Hornby who has a tough time settling him early doors, the son of Siyouni’s keenness evident in the opening two furlongs which results in his jockey dropping him to the rear in a bid to get him to relax.

On the backfoot from then on in, he does well to make headway when the heat is on and he’s only beaten five lengths at the line which was a fine effort considering how this panned out.

His trainer is adamant he needs juice in the ground, so he’ll be delighted with this opening run, and with all the big six-furlong handicaps likely to be on his radar he’s worth bearing in mind, particularly when it rains.

THE COOKSTOWN CAFU | Click for full profile and to add to My Stable

You know you’re up against it when the Gosdens and Juddmonte have got an odds-on shot in a handicap and that was exactly the scenario facing THE COOKSTOWN CAFU in the Paddy Power ‘Here For The Craic’ Handicap over seven furlongs on Wednesday.

Samburu justified 4/5 favouritism under Frankie Dettori and could head to the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot next, but from those in behind it was Kevin Ryan’s horse that caught the eye the most with a view to future handicaps.

Well-backed after being gelded during 214 days off the track, this was the son of Invincible Spirit’s handicap debut and he shaped well coming from the rear after being squeezed for room over two furlongs out.

He couldn’t reel in 40/1 chance Snooze N You Lose, never mind Samburu, but this was still a really good effort and his mark shouldn’t be changing too much if at all following this four and a quarter length defeat.

A half-brother to multiple-winning miler Mythical Madness, he should get eight furlongs no problem and looks one to follow in handicaps in the short-term.

GET AHEAD | Click for full profile and to add to My Stable

Clive Cox is a maestro with a sprinter and he’s working his magic once again with Hot To Trot Racing’s GET AHEAD who put in a career-best performance when third in the Listed Westow Stakes on Thursday.

Held up in the rear by Liam Keniry, it was noticeable that the first two home, Last Crusader and Guilded, were in positions one and two the whole way, while Get Ahead made her way through the field to finish a close-up third.

Cox has options with this filly as she could really thrive over a stiff five furlongs while she shapes as though she’ll get six, as well, and there’s no better trainer to navigate this daughter of Showcasing up to group level.

Rated 91 heading into the Westow, it will be interesting to see what the handicapper does after she got the better of a posse of 100-plus rated horses on the Knavesmire and it could be crucial for her next target.

She ran well in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot last year and the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Handicap at the meeting, a 0-105 for three-year-olds over five furlongs, could be the ideal next step.

FRANKENSTELLA | Click for full profile and to add to My Stable

Ahorsewithnoname was thrown in in the Fidomoney Handicap and won as she liked for Nicky Henderson, but the run of FRANKENSTELLA in third was a lovely platform for the campaign ahead in the circumstances.

Off the track with what John Quinn described as the ‘equivalent of a sprained ankle’ for much of last season, she returned to racing for the first time in 349 days and this run will have blown the cobwebs away.

She was too rusty to keep tabs on a horse chucked in like Ahorsewithnoname, but she ran well for a long way before tiredness set in and she’s going to be dangerous off this sort of mark going forward.

The handicapper might even drop her a pound or two on Tuesday and she’ll be better off with a bit of dig in the ground, as well, so she’s one to have in mind over staying trips in softer conditions.

LADY LABELLE | Click for full profile and to add to My Stable

Finally, LADY LABELLE shaped very nicely on just the third run of her career in the Paddy Power "Fil This Boots" Handicap on the last day of the Dante Festival on Friday.

Sent off 20/1 and keen early on, she moved into contention nicely despite running green in the closing stages.

She looked to have a bit left in the tank at the line and trainer Andrew Balding, who is struggling a little for winners at present, will have a nice plan for her heading into the summer.

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