How To Bet £20 on day one of the Dante Festival

is favourite to win a second successive 1895 Duke Of Clipper Stakes (3.15) at York on Wednesday but it’s her stablemate,

Commanche Falls

, the outsider of the whole field, who looks the one to be with.

There’s been only one two-time winner of the six-furlong feature since it was created in 1968 (Handsome Sailor in 1987 and 1988) and Azure Blue is easy enough to reject on this occasion as we’ve seen her just once since she took the spoils last year, when running well below-par in the July Cup.

Michael Dods’ mare might easily resume her progress this season, but she’s not got a stack in hand on form – if anything – and plenty of her rivals are entitled to be sharper, having had a run or two this term.

Commanche Falls was beaten under two lengths into third behind last year and the two-time Stewards’ Cup winner went onto thrive, with his three subsequent victories including a decisive success over course and distance in September.

He’s got a cracking wins-to-runs ratio for a sprinter (12 from 36) and I wouldn’t worry that he finished down the field in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket (when behind several of the horses he will meet again here) on his return as he shaped as if needing the run, travelling powerfully for 75 per cent of the race before fading under sympathetic handling.

He took a huge step forward for his first run last year and, if doing similar, is more than capable of being in the mix. His is drawn on a flank in 15 but front-runners Washington Heights (12) and Art Power (10) are drawn nearby. Bet365 quote him at 25/1 and are among the firms offering four places to each-way players.

For those who like a bit of worthless trivia, Commache Falls’ sire, Lethal Force, also jumped from stall 15 when beaten a head (by Society Rock) in the 2013 edition of this race.

Dods also fields two runners in the six-furlong Chuchill Tyres Handicap (2.45), including the veteran Dakota Gold, who seeks to repeat his 2022 win off a mark that is now 13lb lower.  Father Time seems to have finally caught up with the 10-year-old, though, and I’m going to be splitting my stakes on

Makanah

and Lethal Nymph.

The former is 0/10 at York, which may well put a few off, but he’s never run a bad race at the track – including when runner-up in this two years ago, and when a close fifth last year.

Makanah has edged down to his lowest mark in five years and shaped well when a staying-on fourth to the trail-blazing Tees Spirit over (an inadequate trip for him these days) at Newmarket last month. That should have put him spot-on for this assignment and he’s also belatedly reunited with Paul Mulrennan, who is 4/19 on him. Makanah’s record for other jockeys is 3/29.

He’s drawn high and that looks a positive with front-runners Abate (16) and Dakota Gold (15) drawn nearby. Sky Bet are offering seven places and quote him at 10/1 after the scratching of Orazio.

I’m also going to have a small play on Lethal Nympth, who is now 6lb lower than when a good second to Baradar at Doncaster in September and was last off the bridle at Nottingham last time and not given a hard time once it was clear he could not win. He looks to be building up to something, having nbot been with his current yard for long, with my one niggle being that he has no worthwhile York form on his CV.

Friendly Soul is a short-priced favourite for the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes after her all-the-way return win in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket. Her connections are obviously keen to get in some more experience before she heads to the French Oaks on June 16 but she did put in quite a shift at Headquarters to fend off the 94-rated Kalpana and there must be a chance this will come a bit quick for her.

At the prices, I’d much rather be with Classical Song, who showed plenty of ability as a two-year-old and represents a trainer, Ralph Beckett, eyeing the possibility of a third Oaks triumph, having already landed trials for this year’s edition with Forest Fairy and You Got To Me.

Classical Song ran well on her debut, chasing home a rival that was subsequently placed in the Group One company, and thumped Beautiful Love, now rated 97, next time at Sandown. She signed off with a creditable fourth to Ylang Ylang in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket (beaten about four lengths) and that run needs upgrading as she didn’t look at home on the track and was found to have bled.

Her pedigree is all about middle distances and, in terms of form, you could easily argue she’s achieved a similar level (if not more) to that of Friendly Soul.

William Haggas’ passion for York is well known and his 18 per cent strike-rate at the course in the past five years is commendable given how competitive the racing is at the track. Had you backed each of his 169 runners at the venue during this time, you would basically be breaking even.

I fancy he may well have a double via in the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap (2.15) and the unbeaten Elmonjed in the Conundrum HR Consulting Handicap (4.15).

Klondike

is easily the least exposed in his contest – he lines up having had only four races – and a mark of 103 for his handicap bow may well be lenient given he finished in and around horses like Gregory and Tower Of London at a higher level last term. His future entries include the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot.

The Galileo colt disappointed on his final start, in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury, but had a wind op a few days later and may come back a different model. He’s not dissimilar to Haggas’ recent two well-backed winners of the race, Ilaraab and Gaassee, in that he has been a slow burner who did not race as a two-year-old.

Elmonjed is all speed om paper but he needed every yard of 6f when winning his races at Lingfield and Haydock last season. Each time he showed great resolution and was doing all his best work at the finish.

The step up to 7f here seems sure to unlock further improvement and an opening handicap mark of 90 looks lenient. For example, he was conceding 7lb to Robbo and Finbar Furey when winning at Haydock, and that pair are rated 85 and 95. His Lingfield form is also working out well with the fifth home, Movie Maker, being rated 91.

Finally, I’m sweet on

Wahraan

in the closing Stuey Weston & Friends Getting Out Handicap. This six-year-old has been on my radar for a while and I watched his staying-on third at Windsor last time with mixed emotions after making him my nap.

He was well-backed, going off at 11/1 after opening up at 33/1, must be rated one of the season’s unluckiest losers as he fell out of the stalls, giving his rivals anywhere between a 12 to 15-length head start. He ended up getting beaten a length-and-a-half.

I assumed he would be a short price to win wherever he next showed up, not least because the handicapper left him on the same mark, but instead 6/1 is freely available. He probably has a quirk or two but, provided he gets away somewhere on terms, it will be disappointing if he doesn’t make amends. 

2.15 Klondike £2.50 win at a general 4/1 

2.45 Makanah £2 each-way at 10/1 with Sky Bet (they are offering 7 places) 

2.45 Lethal Nymph £1 each-way at at 10/1 with Sky Bet (they are offering 7 places) 

3.15 Commanche Falls £2 each-way at 25/1 with bet365 (4 places) 

3.45 Classical Song £3 win at 13/2 with bet365 

4.15 Elmonjed £2 win at a general 7/2 

5.20 Wahraan £2.50 win at 13/2 with William Hill