MICHAEL OWEN, no stranger to big occasions as an England international footballer, can play a starring role on Knavesmire this afternoon as York’s three-day Dante Festival draws to a close.

Cheshire-based Owen will be represented by Brown Panther, his pride and joy whom he owns and also bred, in the featured Betway Yorkshire Cup.

Trained by Tom Dascombe, Brown Panther will be ridden by his regular jockey Richard Kingscote in this Group 2 event, which boasts prize money of £150,000. The seven-year-old has got better with age as he showed when running away with the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan at the end of March.

Also the winner of last year’s Irish St Leger, Brown Panther is on course for next month’s Ascot Gold Cup, in which he finished third last season.

He faces five useful rivals this afternoon, including Romsdal and Snow Sky, two talented four-year-olds, but Brown Panther is as tough as they come and if any of them beat him, the chances are they will have to dig deep to deny Owen’s prized warrior, whose earnings stand at more than £1 million.

No horse will have a shorter journey to Knavesmire to race today than French, who contests the opening Langleys Solicitors Marygate Stakes.

Owned and trained by Mel Brittain at his Warthill base on the outskirts of the city, French took a big home reputation to Ripon on her debut last month and lived up to it when finishing strongly to win in fine style.

Graham Lee, in the saddle that day, takes the mount again.

This Listed event features some potentially useful rivals, including Richard Fahey’s Sadie Babes and Irish challenger Athas An Bhean, but French can lift this five-furlong dash for the locals.

Fahey will also be well represented in the Longines Irish Champions Weekend Fillies’ Stakes by recent Doncaster winner Realtra, but it could well be that his former stable jockey Paul Hanagan will beat him aboard Yasmeen, trained by John Gosden.

Unraced last year, the well-bred Yasmeen created a very favourable impression when making a winning debut at Newbury last month.

It is surely significant that Gosden is bypassing the opportunity to go for a handicap with the 85-rated Yasmeen by running her in this Listed race on her second start. She looks an exciting filly in the making and is awarded the nap vote.

Luca Cumani could hold the key to the Betway Jorvik Handicap with Ajman Bridge, the mount of William Buick.

The five-year-old failed by only a neck to beat Razor Wind at Doncaster on his recent reappearance. Although he went through last season without once getting his head in front, Ajman Bridge ran some cracking races in defeat here and at Goodwood and Newbury. He fully deserves a winning turn.

The Ralph Raper Memorial Handicap over five furlongs will be a fast and furious affair.

Don’t Tell Annie is one not to be underestimated.

Tim Easterby had a high opinion of this filly last season when she won two of her four races and did not race beyond June after meeting a setback.

It is asking a lot to expect her to win on her comeback after such a long absence, but Don’t Tell Annie was beaten only three lengths in the Listed juvenile event on this corresponding day last year and is a useful filly.

Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore may be the winning combination in the EBF Stallions Breeding Winners Frank Whittle Partnership Fillies’ Handicap courtesy of Royal Seal.

Moore also takes the mount on the William Haggas-trained Dawn Missile in the Constant Security Stakes.

A winner at Chelmsford on his debut, Dawn Missile now has to prove himself on turf, but he makes his handicap debut off a reasonable-looking mark and merits plenty of respect.

At Hamilton’s evening meeting, Richard Fahey’s First To Post (5.50) and the consistent Sakhalin Star (6.55), trained by Richard Guest, have big appeal.

York today: 2.10 French, 2.40 Ajman Bridge, 3.15 Brown Panther, 3.45 Yasmeen (NAP), 4.20 Don’t Tell Annie, 4.50 Royal Seal, 5.20 Dawn Missile.

Hamilton today: 5.50 First To Post, 6.20 Pyjama Party, 6.55 Sakhalin Star, 7.25 Igider, 8.00 Sir Domino, 8.30 Strategic Order, 9.00 Sleeping Apache.

Today’s other meetings: Aintree, Newbury and Newmarket.