Dante Festival

The York Dante Festival runs for three days in mid-May at York Racecourse and features important trials for the Epsom Derby and the Oaks.

The Dante Festival takes place from Wednesday 17th March till Friday 19th May 2023.

The Dante Stakes for three-year-olds over a mile and a quarter often produces a leading contender for the Derby.

Shahrastani (1986), Reference Point (1987), Benny The Dip (1997), Authorized (2007) and Golden Horn (2015) are among those to win both races.

The Musidora Stakes is a key trial for the Oaks where previous winners include Diminuendo (1988), Reams Of Verse (1997) and Sariska (2009).

The meeting also features further Group race action in the Duke of York Stakes, Middleton Stakes and Yorkshire Cup.

Find out more about the Dante Festival:

York Dante Festival Day 1

The first day of this leading fixture at York Racecourse looks like this:

TV	RACE TIME	RACE TITLE	AGE	PRIZE MONEY	DISTANCE
ITV4	13:50	Sky Bet Race to the Ebor Jorvik Stakes (Race to the Ebor qualifier)	4+	£50,000	1 mile 4 furlongs
ITV4	14:25	Churchill Tyres Stakes	4+	£40,000	6 furlongs
ITV4	15:00	1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes	3+	£145,000	6 furlongs
ITV4	15:35	Tattersalls Musidora Stakes	3f	£130,000	1 mile 2 furlongs
ITV4	16:10	Conundrum HR Consulting Stakes	3	£25,000	7 furlongs
Racing TV	16:45	British EBF 40th Anniversary Novice Stakes	2	£30,000	5 furlongs
Racing TV	17:15	Stuey Weston & Friends Getting Out Stakes	4+	£25,000	1 mile 4 furlongs

The seven races on the first day of the 2023 Dante Festival start are run on Wednesday 17th May.

Here are the 2023 Dante Festival Day One times:

• Gates Open: 11:15
• First Race: 13:50
• Last Race: 17:15

Duke Of York Stakes

The Duke of York Stakes is the first Group race of the season at the Knavesmire, a Group 2 all-aged sprint over six furlongs.

It was first run in 1895 over a much longer distance, being shortened to a sprint handicap in 1950 and becoming a conditions race in 1968. It was promoted to Group 2 status in 2003 and is now established as a stepping-stone to the big sprints at Royal Ascot.

Handsome Sailor (1987 and 1988) is the only horse to win the race twice. He provided two of a record seven winners for trainer Barry Hills between 1974 and 2010.

Top sprinters to win the Duke of York Stakes include Thatching (1979), Indian Ridge (1989), Hamas (1993), Amadeus Wolf (2007) and Harry Angel (2019).

Musidora Stakes

The Musidora Stakes is a Group 3 contest for three-year-old fillies over ten furlongs and an important trial for the Epsom Oaks.

It is named after the 1949 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner who was trained in Yorkshire.

Six fillies have gone on to win the Oaks, the most recent being Sariska in 2009.

The 2015 winner Star of Seville won the French Oaks.

Other top-class winners include Islington (2002), Lush Lashes (2008) and The Fugue (2012).

York Dante Festival Day 2

The second day of the Dante Festival is:

TV	RACE TIME	RACE TITLE	AGE	PRIZE MONEY	DISTANCE
ITV4	13:50	Lindum York Stakes	4+	£35,000	5 furlongs
ITV4	14:25	Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes	4+ f&m	£145,000	1 mile 2 furlongs
ITV4	15:00	The Sky Bet Hambleton Stakes	4+	£50,000	1 mile
ITV4	15:35	Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes	3	£180,000	1 mile 2 furlongs
ITV4	16:10	British EBF 40th Anniversary Westow Stakes	3	£70,000	5 furlongs
Racing TV	16:45	Frank Whittle Partnership EBFstallions.com Maiden Stakes	2	£30,000	6 furlongs
Racing TV	17:20	Collective Green Energy Stakes	3	£25,000	1 mile 4 furlongs

The seven races on the second day of the 2023 Dante Festival are run on Thursday 18th May.

Here are the 2023 Dante Festival Day Two times:

• Gates Open: 11:15
• First Race: 13:50
• Last Race: 17:20

Dante Stakes

The Group 2 Dante Stakes is named after the Yorkshire-trained winner of the 1945 Derby.

The inaugural running in 1958 was won by Bald Eagle and the race quickly became established as a Derby trial.

The race is over an extended ten furlongs and the first horse to complete the double was St Paddy in 1960.

The Dante has continued to provide a steady flow of top-class winners ever since.

Rheingold (1972) was beaten a short-head by Roberto in the 1972 Derby but won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the following season.

Shirley Heights (1978), Shahrastani (1986), Reference Point (1987), Erhaab (1994) and Benny The Dip (1997) all won the Derby.

More recently, North Light (2004), Motivator (2005), Authorized (2007) and Golden Horn (2015) have triumphed in the Epsom Classic.

Other top-class winners include Environment Friend (1991), Sakhee (2000) and Roaring Lion (2018).

The 2020 renewal took place in July due to the Covid pandemic but the fixture is expected to revert to its usual date in 2021.

Middleton Stakes

The Middleton Stakes is a Group 2 race for fillies and mares aged four and upwards over a mile and a quarter.

The race was first run in 1981 with victory going to Pipina.

The race was elevated to Group 2 level in 2010 when it was won by 2009 Oaks winner Sariska.

The following season Midday won for Sir Henry Cecil and Tom Queally, a three-time winner of the Nassau Stakes and the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in 2009.

Sir Michael Stoute has a tremendous record in the Middleton Stakes with six winners; Nearctic Flame (1989), Hellenic (1990), Bathilde (1996), Zee Zee Top (2003), Promising Lead (2008) and Crystal Capella (2009).

York Dante Festival Day 3

The third day’s races at the Dante Festival are:

TV	RACE TIME	RACE TITLE	AGE	PRIZE MONEY	DISTANCE
ITV4	13:50	Clipper EBF Marygate Stakes	2f	£70,000	5 furlongs
ITV4	14:25	Oaks Farm Stables Fillies’ Stakes (registered as the Michael Seely Memorial Stakes)	3f	£70,000	1 mile
ITV4	15:00	Knights Solicitors Stakes	4+	£35,000	1 mile 2 furlongs
ITV4	15:35	The Boodles Yorkshire Cup (British Champions Series race)	4+	£180,000	1 mile 6 furlongs
ITV1	16:10	Darley Novice Stakes	3+	£400,000	1 mile
Racing TV	16:45	Yorkshire Equine Practice Stakes	3+	£25,000	7 furlongs
Racing TV	17:20	Longines Irish Champions Weekend Stakes	3	£25,000	5 furlongs

The seven races on the third day of the 2023 Dante Festival are run on Friday 19th May.

Here are the 2023 Dante Festival Day Three times:

• Gates Open: 11:15
• First Race: 13:50
• Last Race: 17:20

Yorkshire Cup History & Famous winners

The Group 2 Yorkshire Cup over a mile and three-quarters is one of the most prestigious staying races of the season.

It was first run in 1927 over two miles with victory going to Templestowe.

The distance was cut in 1966 and the race acquired Group 2 status in 1971.

In 2018 and 2019 the Yorkshire Cup formed part of a £1 million bonus for any horse that won this race, the Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup.

John Gosden’s Stradivarius scooped the jackpot for successive seasons.

Stradivarius became only the second horse to win this race twice following Ardross (1981 and 1982). The bonus prize was withdrawn in 2020 with the Yorkshire Cup lost to the pandemic.

Other notable Yorkshire Cup winners include Moon Madness (1988), Moonax (1995), Classic Cliché (1996) and Sergeant Cecil (2007).

Ed Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux won here in 2012 and is remembered for finishing runner-up three times in the Melbourne Cup. Tragically, he suffered a fracture at Flemington in 2015 and could not be saved.

Best Trainers & Jockeys at York Dante Festival

Locally based Richard Fahey and Mark Johnston invariably saddle winners at the York Dante Festival.

Roger Varian also has a good recent record here and runners from the stable of William Haggas are always worth noting.

Jockey James Doyle has an excellent record at York while supporting PJ McDonald has proved profitable, particularly in handicaps.

Betting on York Dante Festival

When wagering bets on the 2023 York Dante Festival we recommend looking at our list of Highest Dante Festival Free Bets on offer to new customers.

The Dante Stakes has only been won by one favourite in the past ten years, Roaring Lion in 2018.

Libertarian produced a 33-1 shock in 2013 and Telecaster upset the odds-on Too Darn Hot in 2019.

The result of the Dante often sends shockwaves through the Epsom Derby market.

The Musidora is rarely so influential on the Oaks betting but both races are very informative. Aside from the trials, there are some very competitive handicaps and listed races so plenty of betting opportunities over the course of the three days.

Summary of The Dante Festival

The York Dante Festival is eagerly awaited, often in the hope that it establishes a new Derby favourite and is an amazing three days of racing held at that stunning York racecourse.

Although many reputations have been dented here, the Dante (currently sponsored by Al Basti Equiworld) has heralded the arrival of new stars like Motivator, Authorized and Golden Horn.

Familiar names often make their seasonal reappearance in races like the Duke of York Stakes and the Yorkshire Cup and the Knavesmire always provides very competitive handicaps.

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