2026 York Dante Meeting Wednesday Preview – DS
2026 York Dante Meeting Wednesday Preview
We only managed one place last weekend with Golden Mind in the Victoria Cup at 28s. However, it could have been so much better with Towerlands and MrMclaughlan, who was inexplicably ridden from the front, missing out on place money by a head and a neck respectively. Frustrating, but we go again, Dave Stevos’ 2026 York Dante Meeting Wednesday preview is below.
2.20 – Jorvik Handicap (class 2)
Back in 2023 Scampi ended a losing streak for us in this race at 16/1. Hopefully Dark Moon Rising can do something similar this year at odds of 14/1. Trained by Kevin Ryan, this 7yo son of Night Of Thunder goes well at this venue.
He’ll be rattling fit from a few spins on the AW and the C&D winner clearly likes this track. Apart from his win, Dark Moon Rising has placed five times, including when beaten 1l and a neck on his last two visits.
Josephine Gordon, who was on board for his last win at Southwell in 2024 (which came off this same mark) is back on board and I would imagine that Kevin Ryan has had this race marked down as an ideal early season target. Yes, he finished well beaten in it last year but that was off 91, hopefully he can go closer this time at odds of 14/1.
2026 York Dante Meeting Wednesday Tip: Dark Moon Rising e/w @ 14/1 (4 places)
2.55 – Churchill Tyres Handicap (Class 2)
This is also a race we have had success in before. Last year we were on Rousing Encore as our NB at 20s and he got the job done in fine style. The 6yo son of Acclamation is back to try and repeat the trick but he’s 4lb higher now. However, he was only narrowly denied off 86 on his final start of 2025 at Doncaster so he is capable of being competitive off this current mark.
However, probably against my better judgement, I am going to take a chance on one at a bigger price. Earlier this season I put Dark Cloud Rising up for a valuable class 2 handicap at Leicester, a track he gained his last turf win at. However, when I was watching the race it looked as though he was ridden with another day in mind and hopefully, this is it.
Cheekpieces Return
The 4yo will wear cheekpieces today, just like he did when winning at Newcastle off 1lb lower in November. He was subsequently beaten just 0.75l when fifth off 92 on his next start there and he is 2lb lower here.
It must be said that Dark Cloud Rising has run below par in three previous runs at this venue but two of those were on easy ground and his run in a heritage handicap at York last October was too bad to be true. I have no doubt that this son of Dark Angel has a big pot in him at some stage, hopefully it is tomorrow.
2026 York Dante Meeting Wednesday Tip: Dark Cloud Rising e/w @ 40/1 (6 places)
3.30 – Minster Stakes (Group 2)
I stuck Ain’t Nobody up at Newmarket 11 days ago and he ran an absolute stinker. With Ryan Moore jocked up, I was sure he’d be there to do his best but clearly, that wasn’t the case.
As I wasn’t at the meeting and didn’t see him in the paddock, I can’t be sure whether he was fit or not but judging from what he did on the track, surely he must have been as fat as a fool. Either that, or he just wasn’t in the mood but whatever the issue was, the fact he is being turned out again 11 days later suggests that it wasn’t anything serious.
The best run of this relatively young sprinter’s career came in the Nunthorpe here last August when he ran on strongly to finish a fine 1.25l second behind Asfoora. On that evidence, 6f on the Knavesmire may be exactly what he wants and perhaps Ryan was using Newmarket as a stepping stone towards this race.
Three of the four horses at the head of the market here are lacking a run so there is a chance that an outsider could get into the money, hopefully it is Ain’t Nobody at odds of 33/1.
