York Dante Festival Friday Selections: 40/1 Each-Way Value, Proven Course Form and a Royal Ascot Contender (May 15, 2026)

The final day of the York Dante Festival brings three selections across the card — a proven course performer at a solid price, a big-priced each-way play with the draw in her favour, and a potentially special horse heading towards Royal Ascot.

The low draw bias has been a consistent theme all week at York and today’s selections account for that — stalls 4, 5 and 6 across the three races.

2:55 — HAVE SECRET | 10/1 | 5 places | 1pt each-way | Stall 6

Five wins on good to soft ground, a victory at Pontefract last month and a third place in this exact race earlier this season. Have Secret arrives with genuine York form and conditions that suit. Stall 6 is ideal given this week’s draw bias and five places at 10/1 makes this a well-grounded each-way selection. The form is backed up, the track suits and the draw works in her favour.

1pt each-way @ 10/1 — 5 places

4:40 — NUEVO SLOVO | 40/1 | 5 places | 1pt each-way | Stall 4

The standout each-way value selection of the day. Well handicapped off 91, returning to 5 furlongs which looks the right trip, and drawing stall 4 — the perfect position given this week’s low draw bias at York.

The stable switch to Simon Pearce is the risk but also the opportunity — fresh horses for new trainers often run well and Pearce needs a winner. At 40/1 with five places the each-way mathematics are excellent. If the ability is there, she should comfortably outrun her odds.

1pt each-way @ 40/1 — 5 places

A Frankel offspring, half-brother to Crown Estate, carrying the colours of the King and Queen with William Buick in the saddle. Portcullis stormed home at Newmarket recently and today looks like the next stop on what could be a very exciting season.

The potential destination is the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot — and a convincing win today would announce him as a genuine contender for one of the summer’s most prestigious races. Evens reflects the market’s confidence. The pedigree, the form, the jockey and the occasion all point the same way.

2pts win @ Evens

Total today: 4pts staked across three selections. For live updates follow on X and Bluesky. The AI Golf Bot’s Min Woo Lee is joint leading the PGA Championship at 55/1 after round one — full card on the Twister Tipster Substack, free to subscribe at the link below.

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York Dante Festival Thursday (May 14, 2026) Picks — Three Selections Across the Card

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Three selections at York today across the Dante Festival card… sign up for regular golf and horse racing picks.

2:20 — Hammer the Hammer | 8/1 | 6 places | 1pt each-way

An Irish raider that the market may be underestimating. Better than handicap level on his best form, he showed genuine speed at Royal Ascot last year before connections dropped him back in trip. The return to 5 furlongs looks spot on. The key flag here is a recent wind operation — horses returning from wind surgery are consistently underrated by the market and if that has resolved his breathing issues this is a completely different proposition at 8/1.

The one caveat is stall 13 — not ideal given the low draw bias at York this week. We’re taking the risk on the form and the wind op rather than worrying about the draw. At 8/1 with 6 places the each-way value justifies it.

1pt each-way @ 8/1 — 6 places

2:55 — Cerulean Bay | 6/1 | 5 places | 1pt each-way

This one ticks almost every box. Was below his best in the first half of last season but improved significantly as the year went on — that trajectory heading into this campaign is encouraging. Handles courses with bends well, which York suits perfectly, and crucially draws a nice stall in 6.

The clincher is the course form — he finished second here over the same distance last year. He knows the track, handles the trip, and arrives in improving form with a favourable draw. Solid each-way proposition at 6/1.

1pt each-way @ 6/1 — 5 places

4:05 — Action | 11/2 | 3 places | 1pt each-way

The Aidan O’Brien angle alone commands respect — his runners at big meetings carry stable confidence and are rarely without a chance. But there’s genuine form to back this up. Action has performed well in Group 1 company previously, including against Bow Echo who went on to win the 2,000 Guineas, and is closely related to Lambourn, the 2025 Derby winner. The class is not in question.

The key update is the tongue tie being removed today after issues last time out. Tongue tie removal is one of the most consistently positive signals in racing — if that was restricting him previously, today could be a different horse entirely. Stall 7 is a decent draw with no concerns given the track bias.

The only note is that 3 places at 11/2 makes this more of a win-orientated play than the others — factor that in to your expectations.

1pt each-way @ 11/2 — 3 places

Total exposure today: 6pts staked across three each-way bets.

Good luck everyone — updates to follow as the results come in. If you want daily picks and analysis including our AI Golf Bot’s PGA Championship card this week, the Twister Tipster Substack is free to subscribe — link below. 🏇

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