Wings Of Desire holds off Deauville to take Dante Stakes

Wings Of Desire put himself into the Investec Derby picture after getting up close home to land the Betfred Dante Stakes at York.

After capturing the Group Two prize 12 months ago with subsequent Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn, trainer John Gosden celebrated another victory in the event thanks to the efforts of the recent Wolverhampton maiden winner.

Selected by Frankie Dettori over last year's Royal Lodge winner and stablemate Foundation, the decision proved to be a wise one.

Held up early on, the 9-1 shot was produced to challenge the Aidan O’Brien-trained Deauville deep inside the final furlong of the extended mile-and-a-quarter prize.

As the pair battled it out it was to be the son of Pivotal that was to get the verdict by a neck, with Foundation a further length and half back in third.

Favourite Midterm failed to replicate the performance of his previous two runs and after coming under pressure early on in the straight could only keep on to finish fifth.

Dettori said: “Everybody kept on knocking him. I knew this horse could be anything and we proved it today. And I think if he goes further he’ll be even better.

“I took a pull early in the straight because he’s very raw and when he hits the front he’s mentally immature so I wanted to use Ryan (Moore, on Deauville) as a target.

“When I asked him to quicken he gave it to me and we won.

“He can only improve, it was only his third day at school, and we know there’s plenty more to come, so we will roll the dice (supplement for Epsom) and give it a go.”

Gosden said: “This horse is still learning. He’s gone from a maiden to Wolverhampton to here. This horse never did a half-speed piece of work until the middle of March, so consequently he’s still learning a lot.

“We’ll take him to Epsom to let him have a feel of the hill. He’s still very much a baby.

“He’s freakish. He showed me things early on, I thought ‘goodness’. He’s so laid back.

“I took him out of the Derby in March as I thought he was for the King Edward VII, like his brother Eagle Top. That was my plan and it has obviously changed.

“He went round a bend at Wolverhampton and learnt a lot. He’s still learning, he’s come here and won a Dante. There’s a lot more to come and all being well we’ll go to Epsom.

“For a horse like this to come from no education in a sense as a two-year-old and to come and win a Dante is pretty special.

“He stays well let’s hope his inexperience doesn’t undo him, but there’s no reason not to go.”

On Foundation, Gosden said: “We are clear about him. He got boxed in, got out late and William (Buick) got off him and said that’s his trip.

“We’ve always known he’s a Prix du Jockey Club horse. He will go to Chantilly the day after the Derby. That’s the plan for him, he ran a blinder. We’re very happy with him, he got rolling late.”

O Brien said of Deauville: “He ran well and we are very happy with that display, especially because it was his first run of the year.

“He likes good ground and is a very good mover. His only bad run was in the Racing Post Trophy which came at the end of the year on very bad ground.

“The lads will decide if goes to the derby. But I’ve been very happy with all the horses in all the trials, even those that haven’t won.”

Meanwhile, connections of the Michael Stoute-trained Midterm were left deflated.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Andullah, said: "It was a bit disappointing, to say the least. He never seemed to be happy and was never in a rhythm like he was at Sandown.

“It all seemed so easy for him that day, so it’s hard to put a finger on what the difference was.

“We see how he is when he gets home, but at the moment you would have to say that there is plenty to think about.

“He was a bit coltish and it was only his third run and he has got a bit to learn. The only thing is it all comes a bit quick.”

His rider Pat Smullen said: "He was a little bit sluggish out of the gates and then a bit keen early, but they were going a good pace so I was quite happy to stay back and get him switched off and relaxed.

“When we straightened up, I got on Frankie’s (Dettori) tail and couldn’t go with him.

“Obviously connections will make a decision, but I think everything is happening a bit quick for him at the moment.

“He’s a horse for maybe later in the year. His immaturity showed today, he’s a good horse, there’s no question, but overall you’ll have to be a bit disappointed with a couple of weeks’ time in mind.

“He’d have to improve on that and I’m sure he will, but his immaturity and lack of experience showed today.”