It is the case that many Classic trials turn out to be nothing of the sort but today's Dante Stakes at York is a very notable exception. Three recent Derby winners have won this race en route to Epsom. North Light, Motivator and Authorized have had enjoyed that double triumph in three of the last four years, a record far beyond any other such trial.

It would be no surprise at all if the successful candidate in this afternoon's contest were to emulate that trio although, with only six runners, there is the risk of a false pace and similarly false result. That could be avoided if one of the two Godolphin runners, McCartney and Young Pretender, makes the running strong enough to test the stamina of his stablemate, as well as the others.

On jockey bookings, that would seem to mean that Kerrin McEvoy on McCartney will be asked to set the pace to suit Frankie Dettori on Young Pretender, although the former won three races in a row for Mark Johnston last season and is a talented horse in his own right.

Young Pretender won two races in succession last year, one a Group 3 at Longchamp over seven furlongs, but was five lengths behind stablemate Rio del Plata in a Group 1 race at the same track later.

The other four runners look potentially formidable performers. Centennial, trained by John Gosden, was a decent two-year-old and pleased his trainer when winning over this trip at Sandown last month. He is held in high regard, as are Frozen Fire, Twice Over and Tartan Bearer.

On what he has done to date, a second last term and an easy win at Leicester last month, it is hard to assess the merits of Tartan Bearer but his trainer Sir Michael Stoute, would not be tackling a Derby trial of this quality unless eh had high hopes for his horse.

Frozen Fire comes from the Aidan O'Brien yard whose runners have been in superb form. Many of them have improved greatly after their opening race of the season but, although Frozen Fire comes her first time out, he still must be a potential Ballydoyle star.

Last, but surely not least, is Twice Over, whose capabilities over a distance like the Derby's 12 furlongs have been much debated since he won the Craven Stakes over a mile at Newmarket last month. It is true that in modern times it has been difficult to find a horse with that kind of speed who could also stay the Derby trip but Henry Cecil's colt did win over today's distance at Newmarket last year.

The runner-up in the Craven Stakes, Raven's Pass, then finished a good fourth from a bad draw in the 2000 Guineas, thus doing no harm to the reputation of Cecil's horse.

At Perth, Graham Lee may pick up a double with Cardinal Spirit (2.0) in the Intermediate Hurdle and Manbow (4.10) in the Royal Bank Handicap Chase.

Selections
York 2.10 Samira Gold 2.40 Twice Over 3.10 Lang Shining
Perth 2.00 Cardinal Spirit 4.10 Manbow