SANS Frontieres can emerge as a serious Derby candidate by securing victory in the totesport.com Dante Stakes at York.

Jeremy Noseda’s impressive chestnut was sent off odds-on for his Lingfield debut in September and duly landed some hefty bets as he came home a neck clear of a subsequent winner in Rafaan.

Although that victory earned him a rating of just 76, it was clear Noseda felt he was a good deal better than that when he decided to pitch him into Group Three company at Newmarket on his comeback.

Although well held in the end by impressive winner and 2000 Guineas runner-up Delegator, the way he was staying on at the finish really took the eye.

This step up in trip should bring about further improvement.

Like most sons of Galileo, Sans Frontieres should continue to progress and it would be surprising if he does not get involved in the finish here.

Crystal Capella improved at a rate of knots last season and will surely be hard to beat on her return to action in the totepool Middleton Stakes.

After filling the runner-up spot on the first two starts of her career, Sir Michael Stoute’s filly went on to win each of her next five starts, culminating in a head defeat of the smart Unsung Heroine at Newmarket.

She seems equally effective over this mile and a quarter as she is over a mile and a half – and also appears pretty adaptable regarding ground conditions.

Connections clearly feel she is capable of winning a Group One to have kept her in training for another season.

She should prove a class above in this field.

African Art fairly bolted up at Haydock last month and can continue on an upward curve in Newmarket’s Simon Gibson Conditions Stakes.

The Johannesburg colt was too green to do himself justice when fourth on his debut here in October, but was a well-backed odds-on shot when pulling right away from his rivals on Merseyside last time.

This event represents a step up in grade, but he ought to be up to the task, with further progression virtually assured.

Tiradito showed enough on his racecourse introduction to suggest he can get his head in front in the sportingbet.

com Maiden Stakes at Salisbury.

Marco Botti’s juvenile was slowly away at Yarmouth last month but still managed to get up for second, admittedly some eight lengths behind impressive winner Misheer.

Tiradito should know more about the game now and while he could appreciate further than this in time, he does probably not have to improve a great deal on his debut effort to go one place better.

Keepitsecret can make short shrift of a 7lb penalty in the Tanners Wines Handicap Chase at Ludlow, while Gordon Elliott should come up trumps with Lord Lansdown in the Ravenswood Construction Ltd Maiden Chase at Perth.