Dante: Hope Of The North

THE HOPE OF THE NORTH

Dante wins the Derby, June 1945 Foaled on March 7, 1942, he was by Nearco out of Rosy Legend and an inauspicious visit to the ring saw him fail to make his 3,500 gns reserve, and no buyer responded to a sale by public advertisement. So he was put into training with Matt Peacock by his owner, Sir Eric Ohlson. We welcome members of the Ohlson family with us today. Dante enjoyed a blemish-free juvenile season, a winning debut at Stockton in April and five further successes including the Coventry Stakes and Middle Park Stakes. Come 1945, a successful pipe opener and he was aimed at the 2000 Guineas but preparations were interrupted when the horse’s left eye clouded over just before the first classic. Consequently sent to Newmarket short of gallop, Dante experienced his first defeat when Lord Astor’s Court Martial got the better of him by a neck. Some onlookers felt that had the challenge come on Dante’s right, he would have responded quicker. Legendary punter and founder of Timeform, Phil Bull, was not deterred and as the Middleham star drifted to 10/1, he went into the ring, backing Dante to win £14,000!

Due to WWII the 1945 Derby was run at Newmarket’s July Course. Dante was set to reoppose Court Martial. Meyrick Good, writing in the Sporting Life commented “I expect to see Dante, Midas, and Court Martial draw away from the field and for the winner I select Dante.” It was to prove an inspired summary as Dante became Middleham’s first Derby winner since Pretender won the 1869 renewal. Midas finished second, with Court Martial in third. His victory was celebrated in Middleham, where the church bells toiled, a Dante Ball held and winning jockey Nevett carried shoulder-high through the streets. Dante was then targeted for the St Leger, to be run here on the Knavesmire that September, he was rated an even-money favourite. However, rumours were that all was not well and they proved correct as on August 25 he was withdrawn. Chamossaire, won at York in his absence. The records show that the eye problems which had blighted the challenge for the 2000 Guineas had returned and indeed worsened. Dante was virtually blind in both eyes and so retired to stand at Theakston Stud, Bedale. Dante had a successful if comparatively brief stud career. Among his high-class winners were Darius (2000 Guineas and Eclipse Stakes), Carrozza (Oaks), and Discorea (Irish Oaks). This great horse died at Theakston in 1956. In all, Dante won eight of his nine starts. Dante remains the last Middleham, indeed last northern trained, horse to win the Derby. The success of Permian from Mark Johnston’s Stable in the town in the 2017 Dante as well as the presence of Gear Up from the same Kingsley House base today offers encouragement that a new chapter in the sporting history of the town is being written. So Dante was reared in Yorkshire – lived there all his life – and retired to stud at Theakston Stud, Bedale.

1946: Dante leaves Middleham to begin his stud career Based on an original article by John Scanlon, first published in the Kingsley Klarion.