Twice Over

Henry Cecil's Derby favourite Twice Over heads an exciting cast of 13 entered for the totesport.com Dante Stakes at York on Thursday.

The Prince Khalid Abdullah-owned colt started off his season in grand style with a victory in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket. Connections decided to bypass the 2000 Guineas in favour of a Derby campaign and will instead head to the Dante, which has been won by recent Epsom heroes North Light, Motivator and Authorized.

Cecil is typically refusing to get carried away with Twice Over's Derby prospects just yet. But the master of Warren Place won the Dante on the way to Epsom with the great Reference Point in 1987.

He told Channel 4 Racing: "We'll see after York whether we can get excited or not. We'll have to watch Luca Cumani's horse (Curtain Call) on Saturday and then we'll weigh things up."

Aidan O'Brien has four possibles for the Dante in Frozen Fire, Plan, Poet and Kingdom Of Naples, a springer in the Derby market. Godolphin also have four entries but Il Warrd and Rio De La Plata are due to run in the French 2000 Guineas this weekend. Young Pretender and McCartney are their other representatives.

Sir Michael Stoute has two possibles with Tartan Bearer and Dee Stakes winner Tajaaweed, while John Gosden's Centennial, a gutsy winner of the Sandown Classic Trial, and the Tom Tate-trained West With The Wind complete the possibles.

The going on the Knavesmire ahead of next week's three-day meeting is currently good after a sunny week in Yorkshire.