Finally we get to see High Definition and this is the acid test for the long time ante-post favourite who was only usurped from that position by stablemate Bolshoi Ballet recently.
I don't think the bare form is anywhere near enough to have warranted High Definition's odds coming into this season but outside of Bolshoi Ballet every other contender seems to have faded on closer examination. The feature of High Definition last season was the strong way he finished off his races and he looked like a horse crying out for 10 to 12 Furlongs. Being by Galileo he could easily have improved over the winter and he will need to have done so in order to win the Derby.
The off-putting thing with High Definition in the Dante is that he had been due to run at Lingfield but was ruled out due to a bad blood result. It is a short enough rime after that event to be confident that he is cherry ripe now and he could well need this race.
Alenquer misses the race for William Haggas, who already has Mohaafeth prominent in the Epsom betting. That leaves High Definition 6/4 Fav with Hurricane Lane and Gear Up sharing 2nd Fav at about 6/1. John Gosden's Megallan is being supported at 15/2, as is Jim Bolger's Flying Visit at 9/1.
Megallan is a good place to start. He made a promising debut last season but never really went on from it. He has continued to look short of top class and his two runs this season have failed to pan out. It would be tragic if this colt were to win a Dante. I don't see him as any better than a 100 rated colt. Having said that a 90 rated filly won the Musidora.
Flying Visit represents the Guineas winning trainer Jim Bolger but he looked desperately exposed last season and this will be his 13th career start already. I feel he owes his support to running behind Bolshoi Ballet last time but the Bolshoi Ballet we saw that day was not the one who hacked up in the Derrinstown. I think it would be a big mistake in buying into the idea that Flying Visit has made the same improvement the Derby favourite has since.
Hurricane Lane is unbeaten and he did me a good turn last time when I had him at 6/1. He looked as if he simply outstayed Maximal in a 10F Newbury race last time and although that Stoute horse ran well when second in the Dee Stakes I expected to see Hurricane Lane in the Vase or the Lingfield Derby trial because I felt he needs 12F. If he were to win this he would be a player in the Derby for sure but I worry that he has the pace for a Dante.
Royal Champion was 3rd last time and the 4th that day, Youth Spirit, went on to win the Chester Vase. I thought that was a poor Vase though and Royal Champion was 6 lengths in arrears of the second horse last time.
The rest don't appeal to me, so my selection for the Dante was Gear Up. The Mark Johnston colt won a Novice race at York before returning over the same course and distance to land the Acomb Stakes. He was then a bit disappointing when only 4th of 5 to New Mandate in the Royal Lodge but perhaps met speedier types that day and he made up for it when upped in trip to 10F for a Group 1 at Saint Cloud when narrowly winning a race where Bolshoi Ballet was 5th and recent French Derby trial winner Makaloun was 3rd. I thought that gave Gear Up a chance, as a Group 1 winner running in a Group 2 and any further rain will not bother him.
3.10 York Gear Up 6/1
Having backed High Definition for the Derby before he ran in last season's Beresford Stakes at odds of 25/1, I won't be disappointed if he beats Gear Up in winning this.
