‘He will take a big step forward’: Beckett Hails New Bay’s Dante Winner Pride Of Arras

[Wandering Eyes]

As the only runner in Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes with a sole outing to his name, David Aykroyd's Pride Of Arras had a bit to find but at the end of York's time-honoured Derby trial he had little to prove. Set alight by Rossa Ryan heading to the two pole, the Ralph Beckett-trained Sandown maiden winner surged by a wall of closely-matched peers to take total control a furlong from home. At the line, the 18-1 shot who descends from Juddmonte's G3 Park Hill Stakes winner Eva Luna and whose family includes Brian Boru had 1 1/4 lengths to spare over Frankel's Damysus. There was another 1 3/4 lengths between that G3 Sandown Classic Trial third and the solid yardstick Wimbledon Hawkeye in third, with the 8-11 favourite The Lion In Winter running free early and then flat where it mattered, finishing sixth.

Beckett has a live Blue Riband contender on his hands in an open year. “He hasn't had an easy prep and had a complicated time of it last autumn,” he said of the homebred. “We've had a few just needing it, so we're very pleased. I was hoping he was going to run well, full stop, whether that was finishing sixth, third or winning and he's done more than that. He will take a big step forward from today, we can be sure of that.”

Pride Of Arras remains unbeaten to win the @ABE_Dubai Dante Stakes at 18/1!

The Lion In Winter finishes sixth on his return at @yorkracecourse @RalphBeckett | @Rossaryan15 pic.twitter.com/RJQSCHsCGj

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 15, 2025

 

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