Henry Cecil's Derby favourite Twice Over heads an exciting cast of 13 entered for the totesport.com Dante Stakes at York on Thursday.

The Prince Khalid Abdullah-owned colt started off his season in grand style with a victory in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket, a traditional Guineas trial.

Connections decided to bypass the Newmarket Classic in favour of a Derby campaign and will instead head to the Dante, which has in recent history been won by subsequent Epsom heroes North Light, Motivator and Authorized.

Aidan O'Brien has four possibles, Frozen Fire, Plan, Poet and the springer in the Derby market, Kingdom Of Naples.

Godolphin also have four entries but Il Warrd and Rio De La Plata are due to run in the French 2000 Guineas this weekend.

Young Pretender and McCartney are their other representatives.

Sir Michael Stoute has two possibles with Tartan Bearer and Tajaaweed, while John Gosden's Centennial, a gutsy winner of the Sandown Classic Trial, and the Tom Tate-trained West With The Wind complete the line-up.

(reopens) Cecil is typically refusing to get carried away with Twice Over's Derby prospects just yet.

But the master of Warren Place won the Dante on the way to Epsom with the great Reference Point in 1987.

"We'll see after York whether we can get excited or not," he told Channel 4 Racing.

"We'll have to watch Luca Cumani's horse (Curtain Call) tomorrow and then we'll weigh things up."

The going on the Knavesmire ahead of next week's three-day meeting is currently good after a sunny week in Yorkshire.

More news from SportingLife.com

Full racecards from SportingLife.com

Fast and full results from SportingLife.com