Dante Festival 2025 Betting Odds
Here at Racing-Odds.com, we want to provide the best odds to our readers for all the big horse races. This includes some of the huge flat meetings and that includes the Dante Festival. Hosted at York Racecourse, this involves racegoers descending on the Knavesmire where punters can wager on the outcome of various quality races.
Also known as the York Spring Festival, there are four races in total that have Group 2 status, including the Dante Stakes which is held on Thursday 15 May. On the same day, punters can wager on the Middleton Stakes along with a string of other encounters including handicap races.
On Day One, there’s the Musidora Stakes which is a Group 3 encounter and there’s also the chance to wager on the Duke of York Stakes. On the final day of the three-day meeting, punters can also wager on the Yorkshire Cup, with the legendary Stradivarius having landed three wins and we’re interested to see who comes out on top here.
Day One – Wednesday 14 May
There’s a brilliant racecard on Day One of the Dante Festival, with the Musidora Stakes being the highlight encounter. This is a race for three-year-old fillies, with the runners and riders battling it out over one mile, two furlongs. Snowfall, Emily Upjohn and Soul Sister are some of the latest winners of this encounter, with the best betting odds sure to be available at Racing-Odds.com.
The Duke Of York Stakes is also on Day One of the meeting, with this being a Group 2 encounter and we’ve seen Star Man, Highfield Princess, Azure Blue and Mill Stream being notable recent winners. It’s a six furlong dash which always promises lots of fast-paced excitement and we’re looking forward to seeing the latest prices.
Day Two – Thursday 15 May
There are some notable races on Day Two of the Spring Festival and this includes the Middleton Stakes. Customers are able to get price boosts and extra places for an encounter over one mile and two furlongs, with fillies and mares battling it out at the Knavesmire for the prize money.
Lilac Road, Free Wind and Bluestocking are some of the recent winners of this encounter, with customers able to compare the latest racing odds and find out the value. You can get the biggest prices, with live streaming available with the top bookmakers. Check out the form guide and identify which horse stands the best chance of landing you a return.
However, the Dante Stakes gives its name to the three-day meeting and there have been some exciting renewals including Desert Crown, The Foxes and Economics. There are a spate of three-year-olds battling it out in a race which is sponsored by Al Basti Equiworld, with lots of other races comprising the card in the middle day of this encounter.
Day Three – Friday 16 May
The Yorkshire Cup is a Group Two encounter that takes pride of place on the final day of the Dante Festival, with the race taking place over one mile and six furlongs. It’s a historic race which has been in operation since 1927, with Stradivarius having landed three victories in this race in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Lester Piggott has achieved eight different successes to be the most triumphant of jockeys in this race, with Giavellotto being the talented four-year-old who was successful last time out at the Knavesmire. There could be more to come from the Marco Botti-trained runner and it was one of the fastest times recorded in this encounter.
Betting Strategies and Pointers
As with all horse racing betting, following the value is the way to give yourself the best chance of success. Assessing the value can be tricky in fast-moving racing markets – but that’s where our odds comparison can give you the edge.
For the Dante Festival, conditions are generally good, but if they take a turn for the worse be sure to take this into account as overly soft ground can have a significant effect on many a horse on the flat.
In the Dante Stakes itself, as with many of the races at the meeting, John Gosden’s runners tend to go well. He has saddled four winners in total, including three in recent years: Golden Horn in 2015, Wings Of Desire in 2016 and Roaring Lion in 2018. Frankie Dettori has a decent record at the Dante Festival, as do Paul Hanagan and Andrea Atzeni.
Following the betting markets on the morning of the race day in question has its advantages, though getting ante post bets on can give punters that extra bit of value if they pick wisely.
Dante Festival – A Brief History
A history of the Dante Festival is essentially a history of the race around which the meeting is constructed: the Dante Stakes. The race is named after Dante, the Yorkshire-trained horse who won the 1945 Derby. The race was first run back in 1958 and after initially being given Group 3 status in 1971, it was upgraded to Group 2 in 1980. Is it time for it to be pushed up to Group 1? Many people think so and that could be on the cards with the increasing prestige of the race and class of the horses being sent to post.
Pat Eddery is the leading jockey in the Dante Stakes having ridden to victory six times (1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990 and 1993). Henry Cecil, meanwhile, trained seven winners of the race (1970, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1987 and 1993).
Known as one of the key trials for the Derby at Epsom, the Dante Stakes has become increasingly popular with racing betting fans in recent years. Often a competitive and exciting race, there is usually scope for each way value in what is always a high quality field.
Dante Festival FAQ
The 2025 Dante Festival takes place between Wednesday 14 May and Friday 16 May, with three days of high quality action taking place at York Racecourse. There are several Group Two and Group Three encounters, with lots of price boosts and extra places available.
The handicap races at the Dante Festival allow customers the chance to place wagers on encounters where the runners have different weight allowances. These are usually big fields and the bookies will offer an extra number of places depending on the size of the field.
Backing winners at the Dante Festival involves heading to Racing-Odds.com and comparing the latest horse racing prices. You can then select a runner that you think will end up winning an encounter, with customers able to bet win only or each-way.
Live streaming of every race at the Dante Festival is available with the bookmakers. This means you can sign up for a betting account, make a deposit and then place a bet. You can then access the live streams where the footage is available from start to finish.
There’s the chance to get horse racing free bets for the Dante Festival, with customers able to sign up with any of the bookmakers featured at Odds1x2.com and claim a welcome package. You are generally required to place a qualifying bet before getting a bonus.