Final Song looks to top the charts at Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes

Progressive sprinter Final Song looks to translate some excellent Meydan form to Europe in the G2 Duke Of York Stakes at York on Wednesday.

The Saeed Bin Suroor-trained filly has thrived since being dropped to six furlongs earlier this year, most recently when finishing a half-length second to Extravagant Kid in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup Night.

She scored over the same course and distance with an impressive display in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Sponsored By Emirates.com on Super Saturday and was runner-up to Man Of Promise in a Listed handicap, also over six furlongs at Meydan, in February.

Frankie Dettori partners the daughter of Dark Angel, who finished fourth on her European return last year in the G1 1,000 Guineas.

Suroor said: “Final Song worked nicely on Saturday and is ready to go on her first UK start this season. She showed out in Dubai that this trip really suits and I am hopeful of another good run.”

High Definition is one of 11 colts declared for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York on Thursday.

Unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile, Aidan O’Brien’s charge spent the winter months as clear favourite for the Cazoo Derby at Epsom, according to Racing TV report.

The Galileo colt missed his intended comeback run in last Saturday’s Lingfield Derby Trial following an unsatisfactory blood test result, but is set to appear on the Knavesmire five days later.

O’Brien has a second string to his bow in outsider Roman Empire, while Irish hopes are also carried by Jim Bolger’s Flying Visit.

The latter was last seen finishing second in the Ballysax Stakes to O’Brien’s Bolshoi Ballet, who is now the hot favourite for the Derby after his latest triumph in last weekend’s Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown.

The home team is headed by the Mark Johnston-trained Gear Up, who won the Acomb Stakes at York last summer and rounded off his two-year-old campaign with Group One success in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

John Gosden, who now trains in partnership with son Thady, saddled the last horse to complete the Dante-Derby double in Golden Horn.

Six years on, the Clarehaven team is represented by Uncle Bryn, who lost his unbeaten record when third in the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom on his seasonal debut, as well as Megallan.

Hurricane Lane (Charlie Appleby), Belloccio (David Menuisier), Pythagoras (Richard Fahey) and Royal Champion (Roger Varian) complete the line-up.

An hour earlier Group Two honours are up for grabs in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies’ Stakes, for which six runners are set to go to post.

O’Brien’s Passion is joined in the trip across the Irish Sea by the Jessica Harrington-trained Silence Please, with Sir Michael Stoute’s Queen Power the leading British-trained contender after finishing second in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.

Cabeletta (Varian), Chamade (Ralph Beckett) and Freyja (Johnston) are the other hopefuls.

Crowds back at racecourses next week as restrictions ease: Meanwhile, racecourses in England will be able to welcome customers through their gates from next Monday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced step three of the road map out of lockdown will proceed as planned, Racing TV reported.

The British Horseracing Authority responded to the Prime Minister’s confirmation by giving the green light for crowds to return from May 17. Racecourses can host up to 4,000 people or up to 50% of their capacity - whichever number is lower, the Racing TV report added.

The first meetings able to race in front of a crowd will be Redcar and Carlisle on Monday afternoon, ahead of fixtures that evening at Leicester and Windsor.

Ffos Las also race on Monday, but the Welsh Government is yet to announce a change to protocols meaning that meetings will continue to be held behind closed doors.

The partial lifting of coronavirus restrictions means the Cazoo Derby meeting will be run in front of paying customers next month and Royal Ascot will also have a crowd. However, with stage four of the road map not due to begin until June 21, it remains unclear whether that showpiece meeting will be able to host 10,000 crowds.

Since lockdowns began last March, spectators on racecourses have been restricted to pilot events at Doncaster and Warwick in September and limited crowds at a handful of meetings in December.

In a joint-statement issued by the BHA, the Racecourse Association and the Horsemen’s Group, it was also confirmed that owners will also be allowed to see their horses and meet with their trainers and jockeys in the parade ring from next week.

Richard Wayman, Chief Operating Officer of the BHA, said: “It is extremely exciting that we are finally able to welcome racegoers back to our racecourses.”