The feature race of York’s May meeting, the G2 Dante Stakes, was won in emphatic style on Thursday, 16 May when Economics (Night Of Thunder) powered to a six-length win on the Knavesmire.
Held up at the rear under Tom Marquand early on, the William Haggas-trained colt began to make headway with three furlongs to run and taking the lead two furlongs out, soon moved clear and won in very convincing fashion from Ancient World (Dubawi).
Economics was bred by Cosgrove Hall Stud and is out of the multiple G2 winner La Pomme d’Amour, a full sister to another Black Type winner in Van Gosh.
Night Of Thunder is now firmly established as Dubawi’s heir with 46 individual Stakes winners to date. He stands at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €100,000, Oct 1, SLF.
Also on Thursday at York, Blue Point’s G1-winning Breeders’ Cup hero Big Evs made a very successful three-year-old debut when landing the Listed Westow Stakes, run over five furlongs.
Big Evs was slightly outpaced during the early stages, but once asked to quicken he responded impressively and soon took the lead, eventually winning by a length and a half.
Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock, Big Evs is out of the Oasis Dream mare Hana Lina, herself a daughter of Champion filly and G1 winner Queen’s Logic.
Blue Point was Champion first-season sire last year, and the only European stallion in 35 years to sire two first-crop juvenile G1 winners in Big Evs and recent 2,000 Guineas second Rosallion.
The next race at York was won in exciting fashion by Pinatubo’s first-crop son Andesite, who became a very game first winner for his sire.
Karl Burke’s charge was smartly away, settled in third under Danny Tudhope. He battled superbly inside the final furlong, prevailing by a short head in the six-furlong contest.
Andesite was bred by Branton Court Stud and is out of the Stakes winner Katie's Diamond, also dam of last year's G2 Temple Stakes and G2 Queen Mary winner Dramatised.
Pinatubo was himself a Champion juvenile, with his demolition of the field in the G1 National Stakes assessed the best two-year-old performance for a quarter of a century.
