Denton Hall News
- 30-Aug-2025: Latest News from Denton Hall Stables the home of Michael Dods Racing
- 23-Aug-2025: Northern Ticker beats Commanche Falls by a head in thrilling finish at York Festival
- 20-Aug-2025: Count Palatine strikes under Sean Kirrane to make it a Carlisle double
- 20-Aug-2025: Taylormade Lad wins his first race at Carlisle for Tg Racing
- 20-Aug-2025: Sanbona gets off the mark for owner Davi Metcalfe at Wolverhampton
- 05-Aug-2025: Langholm scores all-the-way victory at Catterick for Dods Racing Club
- 29-Jul-2025: A dozen winners in July as Homeland strikes at Ripon under Connor Beasley
- 28-Jul-2025: Boy Douglas makes it a double for Connor Beasley and owner Frank Lowe at Ayr
- 28-Jul-2025: Stable's 10th winner in July as Mighty Magnus strikes at Ayr
- 26-Jul-2025: Novamay defies 21lbs rise in the handicap to make it three on the bounce with victory at Windsor
- 21-Jul-2025: Boy Douglas wins for the third time at Ayr
- 19-Jul-2025: King's Crown makes it four for 2025 under Rhys Elliott ride at Doncaster
Dakota Gold relishes conditions at York to land his first group race in style
DAKOTA Gold relished his “perfect conditions” to win his first Group race at York today.
The Michael Dods-trained six-year-old gelding never looked like being beaten as he spreadeagled a quality field to win the Group 3 Coral Bengough Stakes over six furlongs.
James Fanshaw’s veteran sprinter The Tin Man tried hard to get on terms but Dakota Gold – a progressive five-time winner last season – won unchallenged by just under two lengths. Another veteran, Kevin Ryan’s Brando, was third.
Michael said: “The key was that he loves soft ground, and he loves York, so he had his perfect conditions today.
“York is a front-runners’ track and it really suits him. It was a small field but you can’t knock the quality of the likes of The Tin Man. Dakota Gold did it well and deserved to win a Group race after his wins in listed company.
“It was always going to be difficult this season after what he achieved last year. We had the delay to the start of the season, and the hot spell early on, but he’s done us proud again.
“He’s held his own against the country’s top sprinters, and when he’s had his conditions, he’s won.”
Dakota Gold, owned by Doug Graham, Ian Davison and Alan Drysdale, got off the mark for 2020 by winning the Listed Beverley Bullet when it was soft on the East Yorkshire track at the end of August.
The Equiano gelding may now attempt to emulate last season’s victory in The Rous Stakes, which is a Listed race over five furlongs. Like The Bengough Stakes, The Rous Stakes was re-routed following the abandonment of last Saturday’s Ascot meeting and will instead be run at Nottingham on Wednesday.
Michael said: “We don’t need to make a decision now – we’ll see how he is after the York race.”
While the testing conditions suited Dakota Gold, they weren’t to the liking of Denton Hall’s promising two-year-olds, Northern Express and Blackrod, who were also in action at York.
“They just got bogged down but they’re nice horses to look forward to on better ground next year,” said Michael.