Punters hoping to ride high with Surfman plunge in Dante

Punters are hoping to ride the crest of a wave with a Roger Varian-trained Dante runner at York on Thursday with a plunge on Surfman surfacing on Sunday which saw his odds halve in places to 4-1 inside 24 hours.

The winner of a Newcastle novice by 14 lengths, Surfman, who was generally 8-1 on Saturday evening, was also the subject of good reports from the gallops ahead of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai-sponsored Derby trial, won four years ago by Derby winner Golden Horn.

Card and latest odds

The gamble has promoted Surfman ahead of Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Line Of Duty and into third favourite behind champion two-year-old Too Darn Hot, who is 7-4 market leader, and Derby ante-post favourite Japan representing the all-conquering Aidan O'Brien.

Varian said: "He's worked well and has come on for his run. He’s a highly promising colt. He's always worked like a pretty smart colt at home. We’ve got high hopes for him.

"I think York – a galloping track, a flat track – should suit him well. It looks a very hot race. We’ll have to see what shows up and see how we measure up."

Roger Varian: high hopes for Surfman at York this weekCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Newcastle's all-weather has spawned a Classic winner in Enable two years ago as well as showcasing Stradivarius, the winner of the Stayers' Million who won his maiden there in 2016.

Surfman is owned by former trainer Peter Winkworth, who goes back a long way with Varian as the Newmarket trainer remembered: "Peter is one of the sport’s enthusiasts and has put a lot into the game over the years.

"I actually rode him a winner in my very short and undistinguished riding career. He supported me back then as a teenager – I was a 7lb claimer and rode him a winner over hurdles."

Another wide-margin novice winner Telecaster is also ready to take on the big guns at York with his trainer Hughie Morrison under no illusions about the enormity of the task despite bookmakers making the New Approach colt 6-1.

The trainer, who would have to supplement Telecaster for the Investec Derby if successful at York, said: "I thought we would be 12-1 and we might come back licking our wounds as we are taking on a Breeders' Cup winner, the one-time Derby favourite and the champion two-year-old.

"If by some miracle he won the Dante that would be his final gallop as the Derby is only two weeks later."

Telecaster only made his racecourse debut in March when second to Derby hope Bangkok at Doncaster and Morrison said: "He ran round not knowing what to do. He didn't blow a candle out and I could have run him the next day."

As to the three-year-old's Windsor romp, Morrison added: "I expected him to win but not like that, although I hoped he would."

Telecaster has a family score to settle as his mother Shirocco Star finished second in two Oaks seven years ago and retired the winner of just a maiden but with more than £300,000 in prize-money.

Morrison added: "He's like his mother and it helps to have trained the family as I would have been worried by the way he is buzzy after his work but he pleases on the gallops like her."

York's ground was drying up after the recent rain, which totalled 13mm, and any soft in the ground disappeared on Sunday with a GoingStick reading of 7.0 and an official description of good all around.

The forecast is for a dry week with a high of 20C on Tuesday, falling slightly through the meeting, which starts on Wednesday, but remaining dry.

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