Big meetings at York this week featuring the Group II Dante Stakes for the colts and Group III Musidora Stakes for the fillies have unearthed serious Epsom Derby and Oaks contenders both bought as yearlings by Blandford Bloodstock from Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book Two .
The Group III Musidora Stakes (1m 2 ½ f) for the fillies was won by a daughter of Sea the Stars, with Emily Upjohn announcing herself as a legitimate Oaks filly with a powerful five and a half length win.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Emily Upjohn has won three from three, winning her only start at two and both of her runs this year.
Bought for just 60,000 guineas by Blandford Bloodstock at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book Two, Emily Upjohn has a pedigree that screams Oaks filly being a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Champion 3YO and Epsom and Irish Derby winner Harzand.
She is the 89th stakes-winner for Galileo’s half-brother Sea the Stars.
The Group II Dante Stakes (1m 2 ½ f) was won by lightly raced Nathaniel colt Desert Crown, who was having his first start of the year following a debut win last November at Nottingham.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Desert Crown was expected to emerge from this as a Derby contender and did just that in no uncertain terms bolting clear of Wootton Bassett colt Royal Patronage to win by more than three lengths.
Desert Crown was also bought out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book Two by Blandford Bloodstock for 280,000 guineas and is a half-brother to Group III winner Flying Thunder from winning Green Desert mare Desert Berry, a grand-daughter of Juddmonte Farm’s star producer Binary.
He is the 25th stakes-winner for Galileo’s Group I winning son Nathaniel, best known as the sire world champion mare Enable.
