"He's a better work horse!" – Pride Of Arras Grinds Out Dante Stakes Victory
- Turf GMD
- May 15
- 2 min read
The second day of the Dante Festival at York saw an unexpected shake-up in the Epsom Derby picture with the victory of Pride Of Arras in the Group 2 Dante Stakes. This win marks a significant moment for trainer Ralph Beckett, offering new Derby aspirations reminiscent of Westover's campaign three years ago. Pride Of Arras, who entered the race with only one previous start, an undefeated record, now sits at 5/1 in the Epsom Derby betting. This is a dramatic shift from his pre-race odds of 50/1, placing him behind only the favorites Delacroix (5/2) and Ruling Court (7/2).
The anticipated clash between the winter book favorite, THE LION IN WINTER (Ryan Moore), and Godolphin's unbeaten colt, ALPINE TRAIL (William Buick), failed to materialize. ALPINE TRAIL, despite a favorable position throughout the race, surprisingly weakened in the straight. THE LION IN WINTER also did not pose a serious threat. Instead, Pride Of Arras (Rossa Ryan), an outsider, delivered a decisive performance. Racing prominently on the inside, he found cover before surging through the leading pack in the middle of the straight to win by 1 ¼ lengths at odds of 18/1. DAMYSUS (Kieran Shoemark), carrying the colors of Wathnan Racing, finished second with Wimbledon Hawkeye (Hector Crouch) finished third.
Trainer Ralph Beckett expressed his positive assessment of Pride Of Arras, stating, "He's worthy of his place. He's not Westover, he's not Bluestocking. He does have a very good back pedigree but he doesn't have perhaps the profile of those when it comes to pedigree. But he has more speed than Westover did and he's a better work horse."
Looking ahead to the Epsom Derby, Beckett added, "If he handles Epsom, which I think he will, and he handles the jamboree, which based on today I think he will, we've every right to think he's going there to be competitive. What happens after that, who knows?"
(15/5/2025)
Comments