12th-May-2016

I am taking a chance on Wings Of Desire against Midterm in the Dante.

I don’t have anything against Midterm, he could easily win the Dante today and go on and win the Derby, but he is very short for both on what he has done.  I like the horse that he beat at Sandown last time in the Classic Trial, Algometer, and the pair of them came nicely clear, but Algometer was rated 86, and the third, fifth and sixth from that race have all been well beaten since.

Midterm is priced up on his breeding and his reputation, and a little bit by default, as the Derby contenders who are running are not impressing.  Best odds of 6/4 about Midterm for today’s race are too short.

Wings Of Desire is a little bit speculative, he has raced just twice in his life, and he was allowed go off at 14/1 for a maiden on his racecourse debut at Newmarket’s Craven meeting last month.  But he was an eye-catcher there in finishing third behind Winning Story.

He was settled towards the rear of the field in a race that was run at a sedate pace.  Newmarket’s Rowley Mile generally favours prominent racers anyway so, add that to the sedate pace, and he did really well to get as close as he did.  He was the only horse who could get close from the rear, and he did far better than his better-fancied stable companion Satish. 

He is by soft ground influence Pivotal, but trainer John Gosden said after that race that he would be better on better ground.  A full-brother to Eagle Top and from the family of Sariska and The Lark, he reportedly hadn’t done too much work before that race, and he showed the benefit of that run when he was impressive last time in winning a 12-furlong maiden at Wolverhampton.

Of course, this is a massive step up, from a Wolverhampton Class 5 maiden to the Dante Stakes, but he shapes like a classy individual, and he is bred for this grade.  Also, it is significant that Frankie Dettori has chosen to ride him in front of Royal Lodge winner Foundation.  That is significant, and Dettori is an obvious asset.  He was brilliant yesterday at York, he won on all three of his rides, and Wings Of Desire could out-run his odds by a fair way.

WINGS OF DESIRE WON (SP 9/1)