Musidora, Duke of York highlight Dante Festival opener

Resurgent pilot Frankie Dettori is hoping Star of Seville (Duke of Marmalade)

can make a smooth transition to pattern-race company in Wednesday's Musidora S.

(Eng-G3) at York. The John Gosden trainee is on an upward trajectory, having

improved on a debut third at Leicester last October with impressive scores at

Doncaster and at Newbury on seasonal return April 17.

"Star of Seville won that race at Newbury and has done everything well,"

Dettori said. "She is taking on a Group 1 winner so needs a personal best."

Lady Bamford's homebred may have a fitness edge on her main rival Together

Forever (Galileo), who closed last season with victories in the October 12

Staffordstown Stud S. at The Curragh and Fillies' Mile (Eng-G1) at Newmarket

five days later. The Rosegreen incumbent also carries a four-pound impost for

that latest success. Ryan Moore takes over the reins from Joseph O'Brien, who

has been in the plate for all six of her prior starts.

Remarkably, trainer Aidan O'Brien has yet to strike in this contest. Pandora

(Galileo) becomes trainer Charles Hills' second runner in this Epsom Oaks

(Eng-G1) trial and the chestnut seeks to follow up an eye-catching debut score

besting both sexes at Doncaster on the opening day of this year's turf season

March 27.

"Pandora seems in good form and I have been pleased with her since Doncaster,"

Hills said. "I was encouraged by her performance and she obviously stays well.

They went a good, solid gallop in the race and she showed a nice turn of foot at

the end. She has got to step up on that in this trial, but she has done nothing

wrong and it will tell us what sort of level she is at."

The Duke of York (Eng-G2) at six furlongs has attracted its customary large

field. Newmarket conditioner Marco Botti has yet to claim victory in the

six-furlong dash, but has a live contender for this open renewal in the shape of

Naadirr (Oasis Dream), who  broke through at stakes level when annexing the

September 7 Garrowby S. over this strip and returned this term with an

impressive score in the March 28 Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster.

"The York sprint has been his target since that victory and he is in top

shape ahead of his stiffest task to date," Botti said. "The Doncaster race has

worked out very well and it looks strong form. He likes a flat track, which is

why we gave Newmarket a miss and decided to go straight to York. He won at York

last season and goes there in good form.

"I hope the ground is good; there isn't any rain forecast so hopefully it

dries out a little. He has got the pedigree to be a proper sprinter and I was

really pleased how he did physically from three to four. Everything he has done

so far suggests that he is ready for a step up in grade and Wednesday will tell

us whether we can then aim at Group 1s."

Astaire (Intense Focus), winner of the 2013 Middle Park S. (Eng-G1) and

runner-up to Naadirr at Doncaster, was second in this event last year, but

endured a winless 2014 racing at group level in all six outs. He bolstered the

Cammidge form with an enterprising score in the April 16 Abernant S. (Eng-G3) at

Newmarket.

"He was a class act at two, but like many sprinters he found life difficult

at three," trainer Kevin Ryan said. "He did well over the winter and is much

stronger now. The Abernant has brought him on and he aims to go one better than

last season. He's in very good order."

Lightning Moon (Shamardal) was untested as a juvenile, but took his record to

a perfect three-for-three when garnering Ascot's October Bengough S. (Eng-G3) in

his latest start. The bay will make his debut for Godolphin in this seasonal bow

and needs to overcome a seven-month absence.

The overseas raiding party numbers two; Edward Lynam trainee Gathering Power

(Kyllachy), who ran fourth in the April 6 Cork S., and last term's Prix de

Seine-et-Oise (Fr-G3) victor Gammarth (Layman), who lines up for the Henri-Alex

Pantall stable coming off a third in the March 27 Prix Cor de Chasse at

Fontainebleau.

France

Saint-Cloud's Prix Cleopatre (Fr-G3) is recognized as a trial for the Prix de

Diane (Fr-G1), but it's been 39 years since Pawneese completed the double in

both contests. This year's edition boasts a small-but-select field and

conditioner Andre Fabre is represented by a pair in a race he has annexed a

record 11 times.

Shahah (Motivator), who hit the board in three British starts for Richard

Hannon, made an immediate impact once transferred to France by bagging the

September 9 Prix d'Aumale (Fr-G3) at Chantilly, besting re-opposing rivals

Moonee Valley (Aqlaam), who ran fourth, and Al Naamah (Galileo), who was sixth.

She didn't enjoy the best of trips and was eased late to finish last of 12 in

the October 5 Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-G1) in her only other out.

Al Naamah caused a stir as a yearling when knocked down for a staggering

5,000,000 guineas at Tattersalls' 2013 October Book One and opened up with an

impressive performance going seven furlongs at Chantilly June 23. Her d'Aumale

sixth was her only other go and the Epsom Oaks entry enjoyed a racecourse gallop

alongside Shahah and last term's Preis der Diana (Ger-G1) victress Feodora (Lord

of England) at this track last Tuesday.

Moonee Valley backed up her d'Aumale defeat with victory in the October 22

Prix des Reservoirs (Fr-G3) at Deauville, but could manage only ninth in the

April 12 Prix de la Grotte (Fr-G3) at Longchamp on seasonal return last time.

Both she and Shahah carry two-kilogram penalties for their Group 3 successes.

Little Nightingale (Muhtathir), another Epsom Oaks entry, debuted with a

second going one mile at this track September 26, and was impressive when

prevailing by four lengths in a 10-furlong maiden at Maisons-Laffitte in her

only other go April 2.

Undefeated Stay the Night (Arch) lines up for the Jean-Claude Rouget barn

coming off wins at Pau and at Marseille-Borely, but needs to step up on those

performances to feature here.

Ireland

Wednesday's Blue Wind S. (Ire-G1) at Naas is named in honor of the former

Dermot Weld incumbent who won the 1981 Epsom Oaks and Irish Oaks (Ire-G1), and

the Rosewell House conditioner has won three previous editions of the contest.

He saddles Zannda (Azamour) in this stepping stone to Epsom and attempts to

secure a record-equaling fourth renewal.

Narrowly beaten in a 20-runner maiden at Leopardstown in her only juvenile

start last October, the bay graduated back at the Foxrock track on sophomore

return April 12 and was 1 1/2 lengths shy of Jazzi Top (Danehill Dancer) in the

May 3 Pretty Polly S. at Newmarket in her only other go last time.

Fellow sophomore Pleascach (Teofilo) ran fourth when pitched into the June 29

Grangecon S. (Ire-G3) at The Curragh on debut before breaking through in a

Leopardstown maiden four days later. She travels up from Jim Bolger's Co.

Kilkenny base returning from a second to the useful Bocca Baciata (Big Bad Bob)

in the April 18 Salsabil S. at Navan.

Hitherto unraced Loved (Galileo) completes a trio from the classic

generation. The Aidan O'Brien trainee is a full sister to three black-type

performers, including the dual Group 2 winner and 2013 Epsom Derby (Eng-G1)

fourth Battle of Marengo.

Euphrasia (Windsor Knot), winner of the race in 2013, heads an older brigade

which concedes 14 pounds to each of the juniors and goes postward coming off a

fourth of four in the May 4 Mooresbridge S. (Ire-G3) at The Curragh. 

"Euphrasia is in good form and she's come out of her race at the Curragh

well," explained trainer's son Joseph Murphy Jr. "The ground will suit, she'll

be competitive, but obviously she's got to give lots of weight away to a couple

of good three-year-old fillies. We're happy with her at home and I think she's

got a good chance."

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com