ITV Racing Tips: Two Additional Plays On Dante Day

After a glorious day in the sunshine kicked off the Dante Meeting at York, Day Two is upon us and of course the feature race of the whole week, The Dante itself, takes centre stage. Billy Grimshaw has an opinion in the feature but here brings us two bets worth chancing on the supporting card...

14:10 York

I think once again we could have a pace burn up here over five furlongs at York, with bundles of the anticipated runners being bonafide front runners. Normally when I see a race panning out that way, I like to either back a hold up horse or one who has a good record sitting prominent before pouncing past the leaders who have perhaps done too much too soon. In this race, however, there is a horse I think will win the pace battle early doors and subsequently go on to win the race and that is ZOULU CHIEF.

This horse caused a huge shock when winning second time out last season at a whopping 150/1, and a much bigger price on the exchanges, at Newbury in what was a decent contest and despite proving he was no fluke winner that day I still believe he is a touch underestimated due to the reputation of having gone off such a monstrous price that day. He completely bombed at Royal Ascot after that, finishing last of 20, but that was a tall order jumping from Class 4 to Class 1 and he got back on track at this very course, winning a nursery from the front end.

His form tapered off somewhat after that effort and he started this season poorly, although that's not really a concern given how poor he was in 2024 on debut before bolting up next time out and he nearly did the exact same thing in 2025, running with great credit at Ascot - a track too stiff for this speedball - to finish third. Now back at a course we know he likes and with Oisin Murphy booked and a high draw, which should be a positive in this particular race given all the pace is drawn high, I think his price at 12/1 means he rates a fantastic each-way bet. There are as always in sprint handicap at York dangers everywhere, but I'm pretty keen on Zoulu Chief and think he'll outrun his odds.

15:13 York

This Group 2 for fillies and mares is a perilous race as I pen this piece for each-way players who want to take on the short priced favourite, as there are the dead eight declared and we all know just one NR can scupper things in that circumstance. Thankfully, I am not in any rush to take on SEE THE FIRE and I will be backing Oisin Murphy to have another winner after supporting him on a more speculative play earlier in the afternoon in Zoulu Chief.

Simply, this filly is comfortably the best in the race and while there were some who were disappointed in her reappearance run at Sandown last time out against the boys, it looked to me that she simply didn't stay on softer ground and this return to good to firm should rectify that. At any rate, I don't think any other runner in this field would've fared any better and with her sole run here over nearly the same distance yielding a victory. there's loads to like about her chances.

She has a stunning pedigree too, with her sire Sea The Stars and her dam Arabian Queen, the horse who upset the mighty Golden Horn here at York and cost him an unbeaten season at three. She has run with credit in Group 1s and came ever so close to winning the Nassau at last season's Glorious Goodwood on ground similar to this which again is a piece of form nothing else in here can match, and I expect her to be a comfortable winner before moving on to bigger and better things this campaign. The market looks to have this race right in behind her as I would make the Godolphin filly Beautiful Love the chief threat with her form in America on rattling quick ground, but she has to find plenty to match up to the fav in here.