By Tom Frary
York's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. played host to one who put some pyrotechnics into the current season on Thursday, but there was a twist in the tail at the end of the Derby's premier trial as the impressive Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}–La Pomme D'Amour {GB}, by Peintre Celebre) will not be at Epsom on the first Saturday in June. Off the mark over a mile at Newbury last month, Isa Salman Al Khalifa's 160,000gns Tattersalls Book 2 purchase had been removed from the Blue Riband entries by William Haggas to avoid any temptation to run the colt judged too physically imposing for the Classic.
Making a mockery of a Dante which boasted Godolphin's G1 Futurity Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), the flashy chestnut was held up at the back early by Tom Marquand and allowed to saunter to the front in his own time two out. From there it was exhibition stuff as the 6-1 shot surged to the line despite drifting left out in the clear, registering a six-length winning margin over the disappointing 7-4 favourite Ancient Wisdom, with TDN Rising Star War Rooms (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) half a length away in third.
“To be honest I couldn't really believe it, I just thought he had so much to learn after Newbury but that was a mile and obviously going up on trip was always going to help,” Marquand said. “When I lit his fuse, he was electric and did it a lot faster than I anticipated and hit the front too soon. I think he's a very talented horse, he's still learning on the job as he just had a wander when he hit the front, but he's exciting for the future.”
“He looked pretty good today and beat probably the best there is around at the moment,” Maureen Haggas said. “William has always liked him a lot, but he's a very big horse who has needed time and still looked very babyish there so there is still a fair bit of improvement. We'll see how he is and there will be a discussion about where he goes, but I'm not convinced he'll stay a mile and a half. The more racing ha has, the sharper he will become and a mile and a quarter is probably his trip.”
“The Derby is the one we all want to win and we'd love to win it again, but we have a very nice horse and there are a lot of other nice races to win,” she added. “We need to make sure he stays a nice horse and that has to be the priority. We took him out because we didn't think he'd stay and I'm still not sure he would. You've got to be switched on to go around Epsom, it's a big ask for any horse and he's an inexperienced, big baby.”
Pedigree Notes
Economics, who had been fourth on his sole juvenile start behind the subsequent Listed Prix Herod winner and G3 Greenham S. runner-up Zoum Zoum (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) over seven furlongs at Newmarket in November, is the sixth foal out of La Pomme D'Amour who captured two renewals of the 12 1/2-furlong G2 Prix de Pomone. This is a family nurtured by the aforementioned Guy Reed, who had many successes at this track down the years including with relatives of one of his first good colts Warpath (GB) who features in this pedigree. Other Reed colour-bearers on the page are Warpath's half-brother Dakota (Ire), who captured the venue's flagship Ebor H., and the group performer Apache (GB) trained at Reed's Spigot Lodge. La Pomme D'Amour also has a yearling colt by Nathaniel (Ire) who was a bargain 19,000gns purchase by Midland Equine at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale.
What a performance!
Economics runs out a thrilling winner of the @ABE_Dubai Dante Stakes in the manner of a very exciting colt for @TomMarquand, @WilliamHaggas and Isa Salman Al Khalifa pic.twitter.com/MRGgn1IH9s
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) May 16, 2024
Thursday, York, Britain
AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI DANTE S.-G2, £192,200, York, 5-16, 3yo, 10f 56yT, 2:09.30, gd.
1–ECONOMICS (GB), 128, c, 3, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: La Pomme D'Amour (GB) (MGSW-Fr, $313,702), by Peintre Celebre
2nd Dam: Winnebago (GB), by Kris (GB)
3rd Dam: Siouan, by So Blessed (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (42,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; 160,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Isa Salman Al Khalifa; B-Copgrove Hall Stud (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Tom Marquand. £108,997. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $152,256. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ancient Wisdom (Fr), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Golden Valentine (Fr), by Dalakhani (Ire). TDN Rising Star. (€2,000,000 Ylg '22 ARAUG). O-Godolphin; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & LNJ Foxwoods (FR); T-Charlie Appleby. £41,323.
3–War Rooms (Ire), 128, c, 3, Churchill (Ire)–Apticanti, by Aptitude. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. (200,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Brook Farm Bloodstock; B-Lynch Bages & Camas Park Stud (IRE); T-Owen Burrows. £20,681.
Margins: 6, HF, 2 1/4. Odds: 6.00, 1.75, 25.00.
Also Ran: Cambridge (Ire), God's Window (GB), Caviar Heights (Ire), Al Musmak (Ire).
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