York review

A round-up of the pick of the action from day three of the Dante Festival at York.
Johnson Houghton in Clover

Betty Clover (12/1) picked up well for Georgia Dobie to win the Clipper EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes.
The inside dominated the five furlong Listed contest where Miss Lamai appeared to be doing just enough for much of the final furlong. However, Betty Clover – bred, owned and trained by Eve Johnson Houghton – wore her rival down in the closing stages and won by half a length.
The heavily backed Miss Lamai held on for second with Running Queen, who had beaten the winner last time, in third. Glorious Kitty was fourth.
“She’s so straightforward. She’s such a lovely filly, no quirks,” Dobie told ITV Racing.
“She was a little bit outpaced early on, I thought that would be the case, she probably will want a little bit further being by Time Test, but that was unbelievable. Fair play to the whole team, we all work really hard and it’s great to get results like this.
“I can’t thank Eve enough, it’s a massive opportunity for me and I’m very grateful.”
Betty Clover received quotes in the region of 14/1 for the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Johnson Houghton, who was watching from her local track in Newbury, said: “That was amazing! I think everyone in Newbury knows I won with her! I was a little bit noisy. I bred her and I’m so wildly excited, I just can’t believe it. I thought she had a chance of a place and I thought she had a chance of turning the form round with Running Queen, who got first run on us last time.
“Georgia gave her the most beautiful ride. I’m very proud of my jockey, she doesn’t get many chances and bloody hell she’s good. She should be saluted for that. We have to look at Ascot. I don’t know which race. It’s a very fast five furlongs at York and she travelled all right into it, but we’ll have a think.”
Karl Burke has a good record in the race and saddled three fillies this time, with Miss Lamai doing the best of the trio under Callum Rodriguez.
“I thought she had it won at the furlong pole, but she was probably in front a little too long and she got a bit lonely,” the trainer said.
“We were beaten fair and square on the line. She’s a very nice filly. I thought she was the better of my three in the race, but I thought she’d be better over six furlongs later on rather than now. But she’s obviously learned a hell of a lot. She’s a good filly, I’ll have to speak to the owners whether we go to Ascot for the Queen Mary, she wouldn’t be disgraced, that’s for sure.”
Running Queen and Oisin Murphy crossed the line a length and three-quarters behind the winner.
Trainer Ollie Sangster said of the run: “Very happy, third in a Listed race. Obviously the form has been overturned from Salisbury – maybe the change in ground or something, not too sure. She will go to Ascot now, Oisin seems to think the Queen Mary is the logical one, but we will have a think and it will be one or the other anyway.”
Queen of York is ‘pretty exciting’
Devoted Queen (3/1 favourite) powered home to maintain her unbeaten record in the Listed Sky Bet Fillies’ Stakes.
Spiritual took them along in the mile contest and Devoted Queen came under the pump from William Buick some way out but she picked up strongly in the middle of the course to win going away.
It was tight for the minors with Spiritual doing enough to play the bridesmaid. Bolsena was third and Bright Thunder fourth.
Devoted Queen was having just the third start of her career having won a soft ground Newmarket maiden in October before doubling her tally at Kempton in April.
The Charlie Appleby-trained winner holds an entry in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and Buick wasn’t in a rush to rule a tilt at that prize out.
“I’m sure that’s something the team will discuss and she’s only a baby still, that was only her third race,” he said. “It’s the first time she’s probably had a proper race and if she improves again for this then I’m sure it will be under consideration.
“Delighted with this filly. We put a hood on her to enable her relax a little bit, there’s plenty going on here at York. She relaxed lovely in the race, she came into the race nicely; ideally I’d have waited a little bit longer but she got the trip well and she’s a filly who’s only going to keep on progressing.
“She’s pretty exciting.”
Alex Merriam, representing owners Godolphin, added: “I think she’s improving all the time and very happy with her.

“Will said it’s (the Coronation Stakes) definitely something you want to consider. I think he said she’s a horse who might want a bit of juice in the ground but it will definitely have to come under consideration.”News broke earlier on Friday that Arabian Crown was ruled out of the Epsom Derby and Merriam said of the star colt: “It’s a great shame but at the end of the day it’s, hopefully, only a fairly minor injury so we’ve hopefully still got a nice horse for the late summer and autumn campaign.”

Nominative determinism?
The Wood Ditton form received a boost when Lead Artist (6/4 favourite), who holds an entry in the St James’s Palace Stakes, ran out a convincing winner of the Darley EBF Novice Stakes.The winner had finished a nose behind First Conquest, conceding 6lbs, at Newmarket and that rival possibly did a little bit too much on the lead in the mile contest and folded rather tamely in the straight.However, it may not have made a significant difference as the son of Dubawi quickened clear to win by four and three quarter lengths from market rival Under Siege.

Dark Tornado was third at 10/1.

The winner was trained by John and Thady Gosden and the former said: “I expected him to improve but I did think the horse that was second had the best form so I thought we were up against it.

“You’re very bold with your entries when it’s two months ahead, then you get to the five-day stage and you lose your nerve, then you see what’s running and where your draw is and you lose your confidence all the way. He’s well engaged and we’ve always liked him, let’s hope he can aspire to the early belief.”

Kieran Shoemark was in the saddle and said: “He’s a nice colt. I thought he ran a great race in the Wood Ditton. He’s got so much raw ability, he’s a big, heavy, raw horse still and I hope there’s plenty more to come.

“He changed his legs two and a half out and I thought, for a moment, he was running very green but once he changed his legs he was straight as a gun barrel.”

Botanical blooms on the Knavesmire

The Knights Solicitors Handicap went the way of Botanical (5/2 favourite) who stretched clear in fine fashion on his seasonal reappearance.

There were four in a line approaching the final furlong but Botanical extended clear under James Doyle in style to beat King’s Code by three lengths.

Reach took third with Qitaal fourth and Theme Park fifth.

Roger Varian’s charge was taking his career record to three wins from six starts and defied a 10lb higher mark having won by six lengths at Hamilton on his final appearance of 2023.

Doyle said: “He missed his engagement last week with the ground tightening up at Chester, probably slightly tighter than ideal but at least he showed he can act on it.

“He was a bit buzzy going to post and a little bit fresh in the race early but he travelled super, showed a good kick and he was shutting down near the line.

“When you’ve got the power under you it’s just a case of conserving it but he travelled into the race super and when I let him go, I was mindful that he might get a bit tired but he actually found a good kick and then got a bit tired. It was good.”

Few predict Riot

The Yorkshire Equine Practice Handicap looked competitive on paper and, indeed, for much of the seven furlongs with a number of runners in contention on the inside of the track, against the rail.

That was, until, Riot (16/1) stormed home down the centre of the track with a compelling charge to not only convincingly beat those on his part of the course but also those on the inside.

David O’Meara’s charge had been busy through the winter but a lean spell had saw his mark slip to 3lbs below his most recent success in December and he had course form, too, having finished fifth in last year’s renewal.

He was ridden by Danny Tudhope and won by two and a half lengths.

Those to follow him home were sent off at even longer odds with Gincident (33/1) and Craven (50/1) the next two across the line. Hectic (16/1) was fourth and Tropez Power (11/2) fifth.