York Race Will Have Pointers For The Vodafone Derby Three of the past 10 Vodafone Derby winners captured York´s totesport Dante Stakes en route to their Epsom Downs triumph and the extended 10-furlong contest promises to reveal more Blue Riband clues on Thursday, May 17. Motivator in 2005 was the latest Vodafone Derby winner to have won the Group Two contest, while North Light (2004) and Benny The Dip (1997) also completed the double in the past 10 years. Sakhee won the York race in 2000 before finishing runner-up to Sinndar at Epsom Downs and Moon Ballad came home third in High Chaparral´s Vodafone Derby after winning the Dante. There are four Vodafone Derby entries in the six-runner field this year, and connections will be hoping for a big run to determine their chances of glory in the premier Classic on Saturday, June 2. Saeed Suhail enjoyed his biggest day as an owner when Kris Kin powered up the final climb at Epsom Downs for a breathtaking victory in the 2003 Vodafone Derby. Al Shemali is a possible Vodafone Derby contender for the owner this year, with the colt´s participation in the Classic likely to hinge on how he performs at York. Suhail´s racing manager, Bruce Raymond, reported today: 'If Al Shemali were to win the Dante then we would obviously have to look at the Vodafone Derby but that´s up to Sir Michael Stoute. There are no firm plans with him, so we´ll see how he gets on at York. 'He was a little bit outpaced in the 2,000 Guineas and Richard (Hills) accepted that he couldn´t go with them and hung on to him in the hope that he would run on, which he did. We weren´t too disappointed with his Guineas run and Richard was very complimentary about him afterwards. A step up in trip will help him a lot, and he wouldn´t mind softer ground either.' Al Shemali was fourth on his seasonal debut when favourite for the nine-furlong Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket, which was won by fellow Vodafone Derby entry Petara Bay (50/1), with current 8/1 second-favourite Salford Mill in second. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt followed that effort with a respectable 13th of 24 behind Cockney Rebel in the 2,000 Guineas over a mile. Suhail also owned Beat All who was third to Oath in the 1999 Vodafone Derby. The Dubai-based businessman also has the Stoute-trained Ladies Best still engaged in the Vodafone Derby and Raymond reported that the King´s Best colt could make his seasonal debut at Newmarket next week. Other Vodafone Derby entries in the Dante field include the Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained Authorized, who is currently 4/1 favourite for the premier Classic, having won the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Newbury in October. The unbeaten Proponent (20/1) won both his starts last term and is trained by Roger Charlton, who landed the Vodafone Derby in 1990 with Quest For Fame. Beaten 2,000 Guineas favourite Adagio is also entered. The Vodafone Derby hopeful, trained by Stoute and 16/1 for the Classic, won the Group Three Craven Stakes at Newmarket on his seasonal debut. The John Gosden-trained Raincoat does not hold an entry for the mile and a half Classic on Saturday, June 2 but was the impressive winner of the Weatherbys Bank Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom Downs on April 25, and could be supplemented. Latest Going Report From Epsom Downs Andrew Cooper, Clerk of the Course at Epsom Downs, revealed today: 'The Vodafone Derby Festival is still a little way off but we´re happy with the course at this stage. 'There has been plenty of rain around in May and Epsom has been getting its fair chunk of that, so the ground is currently on the slow side of good. If we were racing today, I wouldn´t call the going any worse than good to soft. 'The track is in excellent condition and has recovered well from the Spring Meeting. The ground is in great nick and I´m very happy with it.'
