Hoof It great value to score on opening day at York’s Dante meeting
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It’s day one of three at York’s Dante meeting, which is arguably flat racing’s biggest get together between the Guineas weekend at Newmarket and the Oaks and Derby at Epsom.
Here are three bets to consider placing to get the meeting off to a profitable start.
Remember it’s Money Back if 2nd or 3rd to the SP Favourite on all Channel 4 races!*
The Musidora Stakes has been a money-making race for trainer John Gosden of late with three victories in the last five years and So Mi Dar is odds-on to extend this sequence further.
She beat the boys at Epsom last time and the second and third of that contest have franked the form with respective triumphs in the Lingfield Derby Trial and Dee Stakes since. Back against her own sex she should be tough to beat.
Of her competition, 1,000 Guineas fourth Fireglow is unproven over this trip, while Aidan O’Brien’s Best Of The World, a sister to last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Found, needs to step up markedly on a substandard seasonal reappearance on softer ground.
Hoof It has done all of his career winning on ground described as good or quicker and so finishing fifth on his seasonal reappearance on unsuitably soft ground should be noted as a decent effort.
Yet, the handicapper has dropped him 2lb for that run, with claimer Nathan Evans taking a further 5lb off here.
The worst of the rain is said to have evaded York and Hoof It is effectively running off his lowest mark since 2010. If the ground remains good, 10/1 will look a monster price.
Constantino may have finished ninth on his racecourse debut last season, but the form of that maiden is working out well.
The winner has since finished fifth in the Dubai Fillies’ Mile behind 1,000 Guineas victor Minding, the second has beaten 100-rated Linguistic, while the third and fourth have won off marks of 87 and 85 respectively.
Constantino won on his final start at two and starts his three-year-old career off a generous-looking mark of 80. 10/1 is solid each-way value with four places paid.
He is a close relation to Amazing Maria, who was twice a Group One winner last season and trainer Richard Fahey has landed this race three times since 2009 too.
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
