English/Ire
The Lion In Winter heads eleven Dante declarations
The Lion In Winter will face a field of ten as he makes his highly-anticipated return to action in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York on Thursday.
Despite having not been seen since defeating the reopposing Wimbledon Hawkeye in the in the Acomb Stakes at York last August, The Lion In Winter is a general 8/11 chance to make a winning reappearance on the Knavesmire this week.
The son of Sea The Stars, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, is also a general 11/4 ante post favourite for this year's Epsom Derby, with 2000 Guineas hero Ruling Court and The Lion In Winter's stablemate Delacroix next in the betting.
Ten horses will stand in his way as he looks to increase his Epsom Derby credentials, including last year's Acomb Stakes runner-up Wimbledon Hawkeye, who finished fifth behind Ruling Court in this season's 2000 Guineas. James Owen's colt will be ridden by Hector Crouch, who takes over from Harry Davies, with the young Newmarket-born rider set to partner Simon and Ed Crisford's Sea Scout, a big-price winner of Epsom's Blue Riband Trial.
His biggest threat could come from the Charlie Appleby-trained Alpine Trail. A commanding three-length winner of the Newmarket Stakes on the Friday of the Guineas meeting, Alpine Trail found himself supplemented for the Dante last week and will arrive bidding to keep his unbeaten record intact.
Others bidding to maintain a perfect record include AMO Racing's Tuscan Hills and Ralph Beckett's Pride Of Arras. The former took his record to two-from-two with a smooth success in Listed company at Pontefract last year, while the latter is being pitched straight into a Derby trial on the back of an impressive winning debut at Sandown last August.
John and Thady Gosden will head into the Dante Stakes double-handed, with both Damysus, who finished third in the Sandown Classic Trial, and the Juddmonte-owned Nightwalker, who filled the same position in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket, both standing their ground at declaration stage.
Ed Walker's impressive maiden winner Mister Rizz steps up in grade, while Andrew Balding's Royal Playwright rounds out the field of eleven.
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