[this month's diary]

On May 17 it is the turn of the Derby hopefuls in the Dante Stakes and all eyes will be upon Peter Chapple-Hyam’s Classic hopeful Authorized who is likely to face a stern challenge from Godolphin’s number one contender, Eastern Anthem. This mile and a quarter Group 2 contest has developed into a key Derby trial and Sir Michael Stoute’s chosen runner should also be noted. He has the best contemporary record in the race with two winners and three placed horses.

On May 19 it is the turn of the season’s top-class milers to strut their stuff in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and in recent renewals this has been a good race for Saeed Bin Suroor and the Godolphin team, but given the poor showing of their horses in the recent Dubai Carnival at Nad Al Sheba, the boys in blue will be looking for a lift in this valuable Group1 prize. Intriguingly, Aidan O’Brien may have something to say about the race’s outcome courtesy of George Washington who returns from a barren spell at stud to vex his rivals on the racecourse once more.

In France on the following day, Longchamp’s Prix d’Ispahan regularly draws the top mile and a quarter horses and this is often a contest that exerts a powerful bearing on some of the season’s best ten furlong races. Andre Fabre’s Manduro should be hard to beat here.

The high-class action in May comes to a thrilling climax with the Irish 2,000 Guineas on May 26 followed by the fillies’ equivalent, the Irish 1,000 Guineas on the next day. Both these top-class contests tend to be won by horses that have raced in the Newmarket Classics and British trainers boast an enviable record in both races.

May’s racing roundabout ends with Sandown’s Temple Stakes on May 29, a high-class pattern contest for sprinters that should see Ireland’s Dandy Man bid for a famous victory against a resurgent Tax Free while on the same day the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes is always interesting. Trainer Sir Michael Stoute is the man to side with in this event. He won it again twelve months ago courtesy of Notnowcato and any runner from Freemason Lodge is worth a close look.

Malcolm Heyhoe is GG.com's resident tipster contributing a daily "Best Bets" column and a weekly feature called "The Weekend File". He is also a tipster for the Racing Post Weekender, contributor to The Guardian and has written on racing for Sporting Life, Racing Post, Irish Examiner and The Independent newspaper.

Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips

Archive April 2007