Unbeaten Frankel colt blasts up Derby betting with emphatic Dante win - as it happened

Item: landed the Dante Stakes for the in-form Andrew BaldingCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

A big thank you for tuning in for another great day of action at York.

Item was really impressive in the Dante and is as short as 5-1 for the Derby, although I have a feeling the trials at Chester were a bit deeper.

And who could forget See The Fire, who became the first back-to-back winner of the Middleton Stakes and must be close to a first Group 1.

Tune in again tomorrow morning for the final day of the Dante meeting, which features the Group 2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup.

Keith Melrose has had his say on the Dante and updated our power rankings

The Dante was something of a messy race. You could argue that only two really mattered and one of them, Action, was seemingly on pacemaker duties and is already getting a reputation as something of a rogue.

That makes Item hard to pin down, but he is clearly a classy colt and well worth a shot at the biggest prize of all. You sense he would have won the Dante wherever he raced, but by sticking with the pacemaker Colin Keane saved a bit of ground and, after taking a little while to knuckle down, Item was away and gone.

A bit of residual greenness is permissible, as this horse went to York straight out of novices. He will have learned plenty from a thorough examination in the Dante, yet he will go to Epsom as he started at York: as the usurper with bags of potential against more established rivals.

Tom Marquand rode Morshdi and said: "It rode like a good race. The Juddmonte horse was impressive. I could feel him coming and I tried to engage with him a little bit but no such luck!"

Using best-priced odds

Item (Colin Keane) wins the Dante at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"I can't see why he won't go further," said jockey Colin Keane. 

Is he streetwise enough for the Derby? "You don't really know until you go there but he jumps well and is well-balanced, so hopefully."

Item has maintained his unbeaten record in the Dante. He was very well-backed into 11-2 (having been 10-1 five minutes before the off).

He has been cut to between 5-1 and 8-1 for the Derby. Do you think we are looking at a serious Derby contender here for Andrew Balding?

See The Fire (Oisin Murphy) wins the Middleton Fillies' StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"It was a mad dash quite early in the straight and often you don't want to be the first to commit but she showed an incredible kick and went through the line well," said Oisin Murphy. "She's outstanding here."

Is it only a matter of time before she wins a breakthrough Group 1?

It turned into a dash and See The Fire showed a brilliant turn of foot to become the first horse to record back-to-back wins in the Middleton.

Ralph Beckett after Maybe Not's win at York on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

By Matt Rennie at York

The owners in The Eclipse Partnership will need to dust off their top hats and tails, as they're off to Royal Ascot next with Hambleton Handicap winner Maybe Not.

Winning trainer Ralph Beckett said: "They were going mightily quick around the bend and it was a long way home on that ground. She's tough and I always thought she'd do better from three to four and we're in luck. She'll probably go to the Kensington Palace at Royal Ascot next and we'll try and get some nice black-type."

Saffie Osborne has partnered her second winner of the week aboard Maybe Not, the only filly in the field, for Ralph Beckett at 18-1. She has weaved her way through a big field and finished really impressively.

By David Carr at York

Galeron and jockey Jack Callan walked away after a frightening incident before the mile handicap.

The six-year-old reared up as he went to leave the parade ring and appeared to get himself entangled with the rail and the hedge when he came down.

Black screens were put up around the gelding, who was quickly attended and was eventually able to get up and walk away, although the race was delayed by six minutes.

Callan said: "It was just a bit of a freak accident. He got a little bit agitated and flipped over.

"Luckily we were both okay and that's the man thing, there's always another day. The bush softened his landing but it also meant he was stuck in the same place for a little bit longer than we'd have liked but he's up and he's walked away.

"The horse comes first, everyone's done a fantastic job to get him out and back up."

The horses have been sent down to the start from the pre-parade ring due to an incident involving Galeron on the walkway. He has reared up and got himself caught – the screens are up while vets attend to him.

Jakajaro (Jamie Spencer) wins the 5f handicap at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Robert Cowell on Jakajaro, the winner of the second at York.

"I didn't expect him to lead this field in such a high-quality race but he's just getting better and he's getting faster. I don't know why. He had talent when he was in Ireland and he contested some pretty snazzy races last year. This year he's been a different horse altogether. Maybe it's just that he's a year older and we know a little bit more about him.

"He'll have to go up to stakes company now, he's earned it. He's in the Temple Stakes and he could quite easily go for something like that."

By Matt Rennie at York

Some punters had started to get worried a draw bias on the far side was happening. 

Jakajaro brushed that suspicion aside. Winning on the stands’ side from stall 18. 

Jamie Spencer is on fire! He starts the day with a double, Jakajaro bossing the 5f dash to win at 14-1. Another impressive performance.

Persian Spring (right) strikes in the opener at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

By David Carr at York

Runner-up Ranting Duke could be in trouble after the opener. We don't have all the camera angles that the BHA's whip review committee will have access to, nor is our picture as crystal clear as theirs', but it appears that jockey Diego Lima may have hit him 11 times.

While we've been enjoying the build-up and early action on the Knavesmire the US PGA Championship has got underway at Aronimink Golf Club.

For those of us who backed Rory McIlroy it's already proving another rollercoaster - the back-to-back Masters champ has just recovered from an opening bogey with a birdie on his second hole.

Fancy a dabble on the season's second Major? Well look no further than Steve Palmer's US PGA tips which are available exclusively to Racing Post+ subscribers.

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Persian Spring (Jamie Spencer) wins Thursday's opener at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Our roving reporter on the Knavesmire David Carr has spoken to winning jockey Jamie Spencer after Persian Spring justified 7-2 joint-favouritism to land the opener by a length from 50-1 outsider Ranting Duke.

Spencer said: "The draw was a little bit tricky as I was always trying to edge to the far rail but luckily I was able to get across without doing too much.

"He's a fast horse and six furlongs would be as far as he'll want to go, dropping back to five wouldn't be a problem."

By Matt Rennie at York

The sharp showers we’ve had at York have not significantly changed the ground, but it’s had some impact.

Miley Sheehy was third on Clash Of Hearts and said: “It’s on the easy side of good.”

If all the races have tight finishes like that today, we're laughing. Another opening race victory for Richard Hannon. Nice prospect.