Sky Bet Ebor Festival - The Horses are coming...

As we count down to our feature meeting (19-22 August), we’ll post stories about the running plans of those star horses and jockeys here.

CRISFORD-TRAINED SPEEDSTER BOUND FOR YORK GROUP 1

Friday 14th August

Training partnership Simon and Ed Crisford have lined up Cover Up for a crack at the Coolmore City of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday 21 August.

The speedster enjoyed a strong Dubai campaign earlier in the year and returned to Britain to finish mid-division, beaten three and a half lengths, at Royal Ascot in the King Charles III Stakes.

On his subsequent start the six-year-old shone as he landed the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

Now Cover Up is set to move back into elite company, taking in the £600,000 Group 1 sprint on the Knavesmire.

Ed Crisford said: “He’s turning into a really, really decent five-furlong horse.

“I thought he was a little bit unlucky at Ascot. He was just a bit far back, ran into the back of horses and actually I thought that day he could have been very competitive and could have been in the frame.

“It wasn't to be, but he bounced back in Ireland in the Sapphire Stakes and showed a really, really good turn of foot.

“He's in super form. He's come out of Ireland extremely well and we're looking forward to running him at York.

“He's up against the best five-furlong horses in Europe. But if he brings that Sapphire form, Dubai form, and the way he was running on at Ascot, he should be in the mix.”

Another Crisford-trained horse to win on his last outing is Spinning Wheel, who is being prepared for a shot at the most famous race of the week, the Sky Bet Ebor on Saturday 22^nd.

The four-year-old gelding tuned up for the richest flat handicap in Britain (£500,000) with a handicap success over 11 furlongs at Southwell last week.

Ed said: “It's a race, as trainers, we all want to win, the Ebor. To have a runner in it is great.

“Spinning Wheel won at Southwell in good style and this was always the plan – to go to Southwell and go on to the Ebor.

“He's an improving horse. It's a super-tough race, but he's exactly the sort of horse that will suit York and suit that lovely long run-in from the home turn. Hopefully he can run a decent race.”

From their two-year-old ranks, the Crisfords are likely to bring Flann Sunna. The Blue Point colt began his career with back-to-back wins before finishing fifth of 10 in Group 2 company at Glorious Goodwood.

Crisford commented: “We're hopefully aiming him at York, either in the Roses over five or the Gimcrack.

“He’s lightly raced still. I think he definitely deserves another crack at a stakes race.”

The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August.

MALTESE CROSS HANDED SKY BET GREAT VOLTIGEUR ASSIGNMENT

13th August

Maltese Cross will lead the team of trainer William Haggas at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival, where he is scheduled to tackle the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on the opening afternoon (Wednesday 19 August.)

The Sea The Stars colt has a most progressive profile for 2026, building from a Newbury novice winner in April to Group 1-winning status – via a second-place finish in the Derby at Epsom.

The high point to date of his career came last month when he won the Grand Prix de Paris.

Maltese Cross will carry a 5lb penalty for that Group 1 triumph when he bids to follow up in Group 2 company over a mile and a half on the Knavesmire.

Proud Yorkshireman Haggas, whose long-term Somerville Lodge base is in Newmarket, said: “He's in good shape. I don't like the 5lb penalty, I think 3 would have been plenty – but it is what it is and we've got no other choice if we want to run in the Leger or the Arc. We need to run in a recognised trial and the Voltigeur is certainly that.

“It'll be a tough race, especially with his penalty, but he's very well and doesn't appear to mind any ground so we’re very hopeful.

“He put up his best performance I thought, last time, so each race he's run in this year has been better than the previous one. I'd say he's going the right way. I don't know when it'll stop but we'll find that out soon enough.”

Lake Forest will feature among the other high-quality prospects from the yard destined for the four-day fixture.

The five-year-old chestnut will have another shot at Group One success in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on Saturday, in which he finished runner-up to Never So Brave, 12 months ago.

Lake Forest was busy in classy company at Glorious Goodwood last month, triumphing in the G2 Lennox Stakes and then finishing seventh to Bow Echo in the G1 Sussex Stakes.

Haggas said: “A lovely, kind horse now and he’s doing very, very well.

“He won the Lennox nicely; we ran him back the next day in the Sussex – he was a little bit unfortunate. I think he would have run closer.”

Haggas is keeping close tabs on the weather for Klassleader, winner of the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap at the Dante Festival in May and prominent in the betting for the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor, also on the final day of the festival.

Haggas said: “We've waited all year for this race and he's in great shape, but he needs rain and it's been a tough summer for him.”

He has plenty of others under consideration, commenting: “A lot will depend on the ground because everyone's looking for rain now.

“Earth Shot would need quite a lot of rain to run in the Yorkshire Oaks. I don’t want to run her on fast ground again this season.”

One filly Haggas has inked in for Thursday (20 August) is Rhapsody for the Listed British EBF and Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes.

He said: “First time at a mile and a half, but we think she'll stay it nicely.”

Goodwood handicap winner, Infraad, is primed for the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap (Saturday 22 August) and on the same card Saber Strike is a possibility for the Group 3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes.

One thing’s for sure, Haggas – leading trainer at York Racecourse in 2025 – relishes the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

He said: “It’s a great occasion – I try so hard to get nice horses there.”

“VERY EXCITING” NEVER ENOUGH TO THE FORE IN WALKER’S YORK PLANS

12th August

Ed Walker has once again got his eye on the two-year-old races at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

The Upper Lambourn-based trainer has won the last two renewals of the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York Racecourse with Celandine and Royal Fixation respectively.

Next week on the Knavesmire, he is aiming Never Enough at the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes.

The No Nay Never colt looks primed to tackle the £250,000 Group 2 on Friday, after winning an Ascot six-furlong maiden by a length and a half last month.

Walker said: “We will hopefully have Never Enough running in the Gimcrack.

“He was very impressive at Ascot on his second start. A very pleasing debut finishing second at Windsor, but he really stepped forward and I think there’s plenty more to come from him.

“He’s a very exciting horse who I think will almost certainly go to the Gimcrack.”

Fellow Kingsdown Stables juvenile Alfred Wallace could line up in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes on the opening day (19 August.)

The Dubawi colt swooped late to win the seven-furlong Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot last time out.

Walker said: “We’re not sure where we’re going yet for sure with Alfred Wallace but he could run in the Acomb.

“It’s probably going to be a very strong race, but we’re considering that as well as other options for him.

“The Ginger Kid will run in the seven-furlong nursery (20 August’s Mews Hotel Ossett ebfstallions Nursery) – possibly with a tough game filly called Bymiddaytomorrow.”

Walker has Almaqam in the Juddmonte International Stakes (19 August) and Ten Bob Tony in the Group One Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (22 August). But the pair are far from guaranteed to line up on the Knavesmire.

Walker said: “We’ve talked about the weather and Almaqam so much. He’s undoubtedly better with just a little bit of ease in the ground.

“To be competitive or winning a race like that, I think he is going to have to have everything in his favour and I just can’t see the weather playing ball – but we’ll see.”

In June Ten Bob Tony sprang a 50/1 surprise in the Queen Anne Stakes and two weeks ago ran a very creditable fourth in the Sussex Stakes.

Walker said: “Will he go back to seven furlongs on fast ground? Probably unlikely. I think we’re probably going to keep him to a mile unless conditions fall in his favour.”

The runner-up in the William Hill Brontë Cup, Miss Alpilles, is under consideration for the Group 2 Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup on Friday (21 August 21.)

Walker said: “Plans are kind of a bit fluid with her at the moment, but I think she wants top of the ground and we probably need to capitalise.

“She’s gone well at York in the Brontë before, so we could have a crack at the Lonsdale.”

The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August.

BALDING STARS READY TO RUN AT SKY BET EBOR FESTIVAL

11th August

Andrew Balding is busy preparing a power-packed team to bring to York Racecourse for next week’s Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

The Kingsclere trainer will be represented in a string of Group races and handicaps across the four-day fixture.

Balding said: “It’s a very big meeting. We always look forward to it. We’re strong, particularly in a couple of the bigger races, which is always nice and we’ll have plenty of runners in the handicaps as well.”

As it stands, Balding looks likely to have runners in three of the meeting’s four Group 1s.

On Wednesday 19 August, Item is ready to line up against Ombudsman and Constitution River in the richest ever staging of the Juddmonte International, now worth £1.5 million

The Frankel colt is proven at York having twice won Group 2s over course and distance; first, in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes and then last month in the Sky Bet York Stakes.

Balding said: “He’s a horse we’ve always had huge belief in. Bar Epsom, Derby Day, on which the ground was not to his liking, he’s got a flawless record. He’s won his other four starts and was quite impressive last time at York, given that the race probably wasn’t run ideally to suit him.

“But we’re there with the best older horse in Europe and probably the best three-year-old in Europe. It’s no easy task. But it would be great to go there and see how he can pitch in against those two.”

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes heroine, Kalpana, is being trained for the Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday 20 August.

And all the signs are positive off the back of the superstar mare’s stunning success at Ascot on 25 July.

Balding said: “I’m very pleased with how she’s moving and how her appetite’s been since Ascot, etc.

“She’s got a big piece of work to do prior to confirming that we’re going to York. But as long as that goes well, we’re really looking forward to it.”

Two-time course winner (William Hill Summer Stakes) Flora Of Bermuda is on track for the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on Saturday– a race Balding has won on five previous occasions, including last year with Never So Brave. The defending champion is entered for this year’s renewal, as is 2025 Group 2 scorer, Marvelman.

Balding said: “I think the one that would certainly go would be Flora Of Bermuda, who seems to be effective on any ground. She won the Oak Tree (Glorious Goodwood) well, showing that she stays seven furlongs. She’s won twice at York before over six – it looks the perfect spot for her, really. She’s not won a Group 1 yet, but she’s been placed in a couple.

“Marvelman, I think he’s a very smart horse but he’s better with give in the ground. His participation would depend on the going.

“Never So Brave, he’s been left in the Hungerford (Newbury, 15 August) – we’ll have that as an option as well. I feel he’s just coming back to where he was this time last year. I thought he ran well in the Sussex Stakes.”

Other York ‘possibles’ from Balding’s older horses include Galiyan (G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur) and Prizeland (Listed British EBF and Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes).

And from his juvenile string he plans to send Moonrise for Thursday August 20’s Sky Bet Lowther Stakes. She triumphed in a six-furlong Group 3 at Ascot last month and is now being primed for a move into Group 2 company.

Balding said: “We felt York would suit her really well because she’s a strong traveller and that’s a good speed, the York six (furlongs). I’m looking forward to seeing her up in grade.”

The Sky Bet Ebor on the final afternoon could see more than one Balding-trained runner with Tarriance, Further and Fantasy World all entered for the Britain’s richest flat handicap.

Tarriance, last year’s Sky Bet Melrose winner over the same trip, looks to be his leading contender for the £500,000 race and ran solidly to finish fourth in a very competitive stayers’ handicap at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Balding commented: “I thought he ran an excellent race last time. He’d been off the track for a bit because we were saving him for the Ebor. That was very much an intended break. We got him up early to go to Saudi in the winter and he then ran well in the Yorkshire Cup, I thought.

“We decided after that – having won the Melrose last year – that this was his primary target and couldn’t have been happier with his prep run or how he’s come out of it.”

The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August.

CABALLO DE MAR PLEASING SCOTT AHEAD OF WEATHERBYS LONSDALE CUP

7th August

George Scott is delighted with Caballo De Mar’s condition in the lead up to the two-time Group 1 winners anticipated run in the Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup at York on 21 August.

The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot didn’t go to plan for the Victorious Forever-owned five-year-old – and the race “took him a little while to get over,” according to his Newmarket-based trainer.

But the feeling within Scott’s Eve Lodge Stables is that the gelding is well on the way to returning to peak form for the Knavesmire where he may well lock horns again with Gold Cup runner-up Trawlerman.

Assuming Caballo De Mar does line up for the two-mile Group 2, he will carry an additional 3lb penalty for his May victory in the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp.

Scott said: “Preparations are going great. We've seen a real change in him in the last week, ten days, and he’s very much on track for York now as has been the plan for quite some time.

“If Trawlerman turns up he'll be a very short-price favourite and deservedly so – and Caballo has got a lot of ground to make up from Ascot.

“But York is a different track over a different distance and a different time of year, so you'd have to think that Caballo might be able to somewhat bridge that gap.

“But Trawlerman will be a worthy favourite and a very, very hard horse to beat if he turns up.”

Caballo De Mar’s stablemate Mrair is also due to run at York on Friday 21 August. The Mehmas colt is training for a shot at the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes.

Like Caballo De Mar, Mrair’s last assignment was at Royal Ascot where he finished eighth of 21 in the Coventry Stakes.

Scott said: “He's very much on track for the Gimcrack. It's a big race, a nice race to be a part of and he goes there in very good shape.

“I know he's a colt that people will be looking out for. He didn't do much wrong going into Ascot and then ran well in the Coventry. He was just a little bit unlucky at a couple of points in the race and probably would have finished a little bit closer.”

Scott expects to be represented by Gamrai in the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor itself on Saturday 22 August.

The four-year-old has switched to Scott’s string after last being seen when going down by a head in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Scott commented: “A recent acquisition by Victorious Forever, he’s settled in well.

“It's a little bit like stepping into the lion's den when you buy a horse and run in a race like the Ebor. But it will be a great opportunity to get to know him and unbelievable prize money – it's hard to miss.”

Scott is a big fan of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival and looks sure to select others to run over the four days.

He added: “Al Aali, who won at Glorious Goodwood, will come up to York probably; maybe Wave Rider. And Ridari, who is a new recruit, maybe for the Strensall.

“So, we do have some other horses to bring and I'm really looking forward to it. These big meetings, you bounce from meeting to meeting – it's fantastic really.”

The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August.

LIBERTANGO ON SONG AHEAD OF SKY BET LOWTHER STAKES BID

Thursday 6th August

LIBERTANGO heads up George Boughey’s bid to bag his first Sky Bet Ebor Festival winner

The in-form Newmarket-based trainer has enjoyed Classic glory alongside high-profile victories at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood this season.

Now he is targeting big-race success at York Racecourse – and Libertango is set to be his leading lady.

The two-year-old daughter of No Nay Never struck in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Subsequently, she went down by three parts of a length in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

But Libertango showed up nicely in a gallop earlier this week and Boughey is looking forward to taking aim at the Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes on 20 August, for which the sponsor makes her favourite.

Boughey said: “She’s training super. Great to be able to have a team to bring to York of the quality that we do. It’s taken a few years to get there, but she certainly headlines it.

“Our first two-year-old winner at Royal Ascot, and I think things didn't quite go her way at Newmarket. Possibly the track had something to play with that. She's a very fast filly who we're still learning about, to be honest.

“It was a stiff six at Ascot, and Billy (Loughnane) played her very late, and that seemed to work. I just think on a level track again we could see her to best effect.”

Hopewell Rock looks likely to carry the stable’s hopes in the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor, the feature race of Saturday, after winning a very competitive mile and six furlong handicap at Glorious Goodwood.

Boughey commented: “We'll prepare him for York. I think with the Ebor being a win-and-you’re-in for the Melbourne Cup, it's a beautiful spot for him.

“The programme doesn't really have many other options in handicaps for him, in my opinion, so it's certainly route one to the Ebor.

“If he wasn't to win, he needs to get some stakes placed-form to qualify, and we might have to travel a bit further afield.

“But it's all systems go for the Ebor and hopefully he gets there in the same condition he went to Goodwood.”

Also on course for the Knavesmire is Moonfall, who stamped himself as a progressive three-year-old when victorious at Royal Ascot in the Britannia Heritage Handicap.

The Starman gelding has since finished fourth of eight on the July Course, but the signs are positive ahead of the Sky Bet Mile Heritage Handicap.

Boughey said: “He just seems in a better place than he did at Newmarket.

“We always thought he was a stakes horse. He had a very interrupted second half of his two-year-old career and finally got it together into Ascot. That had been the plan for a while.

“His work suggests he's off a mark he can be competitive. It's hard to see where he could quite get to, but I think York should play into his hands.”

Boughey has several other horses under consideration for nursery and handicap options at York Racecourse’s flagship meeting of the season.

He said: “I do think that we're starting to get a better quality of horse to bring to these festivals. To have five, six, seven, eight runners there who all have single-figure price chances is great. It's what we all do it for.

“I think we’ve built a really nice team for the week.”

The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August.

GOSDEN PARTNERSHIP PREPARING OMBUDSMAN FOR JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE

5th August 2026

Ombudsman is set to spearhead training partnership John and Thady Gosden’s team for the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

On Wednesday 19 August the Godolphin-owned five-year-old will return to York to try and defend the Group 1 Juddmonte International crown he claimed 12 months ago.

Ombudsman is undefeated in 2026, having won two 1s either side of a Group 3 success.

His last outing was a superb four-length triumph in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Now the Gosdens are preparing Ombudsman for a mouthwatering clash with Prix du Jockey Club and Coral Eclipse star Constitution River in the £1.5m feature race of the four-day Festival.

Clarehaven Stables joint-trainer John Gosden said: “His year started very early – he was training in late December, January, February in order to run in the Dubai Turf at the end of March. He had what you might call a winter-spring campaign.

“We backed off a little, came back, ran in the Brigadier Gerard as a prep into Ascot. Then the plan was always to back away again, give him time between races. They need to be let down, freshened a bit and come back.”

With two weeks to go until the big race, it’s so far so good regarding Ombudsman’s preparations.

Gosden said: “We're building up his programme now. But he's a horse who's got a wonderful mind, good constitution. So he enjoys his training without being flamboyant.

“On the other hand, he's not resentful about anything he has to do. He goes out, enjoys it, comes back and does his work. To that extent, he's a pleasure to train.

“We've obviously got some more important work to do. But he doesn't need hard, hard work or anything like that.

“He travels well on the bridle and we've been planning this all year from a long way out.”

Just as he did in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Devil’s Advocate is scheduled to perform pacemaking duties for Ombudsman.

Gosden confirmed: “Yes, I think so. And I'm sure Aidan (O‘Brien) will have others in there for Constitution River.

“You saw the pace they went in the Eclipse, let alone the Prix du Jockey Club. So, there's going to be no holds barred, that's for sure.”

Ombudsman’s stablemate Trawlerman could also bid for repeat York glory. He triumphed on the Knavesmire in the Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup a year ago and remains a very classy campaigner, being aimed at the longest race of the week, on Friday.

The evergreen eight-year-old only just went down to Scandinavia in an epic Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June, then last week was beaten by the same rival in the Goodwood Cup.

Gosden said: “He had an interesting ride around the Sussex Downs – the loose horse early interfering and then coming across. But he seems in good order from the race.

“And we would very much be inclined at the moment to be considering going for the Lonsdale. It's a race he's won before, a lovely race at a great meeting.”

Tattersalls Musidora Stakes winner Legacy Link holds an entry in the Yorkshire Oaks, the feature of Thursday.

Subsequent to her York success, she ran a blinder as runner-up to Thundering On in the Epsom Oaks and then finished mid-division in the Ribblesdale Stakes.

Gosden said: “She's in good form. She, like everybody in this country right now, let alone the farmers in the Vale of York, would very much like to see some rain. So to that extent, we'll see how it goes. But we're pleased with her.”

The Gosdens’ star-packed stables is also set to be represented in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes. Superior Choice, who scored in Listed company at Hamilton last month, will be asked to step up in trip and class when he tackles the £250,000 Group 2.

Gosden said: “He’d be pointing towards the Voltigeur. He's still a horse on the up, still learning.

“I wouldn't see him being much beyond that trip – I think the mile and a half will probably wind up being the top end of his range.”

The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August.

Constitution River has Juddmonte International on his radar.

Tuesday 7 July

Leading trainer, Aidan O'Brien, is giving "strong consideration" to running Constitution River in the richest race ever run on the Knavesmire, the £1.5m Juddmonte International, to be staged on Wednesday 19 August.

Speaking to the Racing Post on Monday 6 July he said “Constitution River has had three runs now so the plan is to give him an easy time of things for a few weeks before we'll get him going again for some of those big races in the autumn.

"We'll see what the lads want to do with him, but obviously the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes would be his two big options next. He could do one or the other, or he could do both. We have done both in the past so he could do both, but we'll just have to see what way things pan out and how he is over the next few weeks."

The Eclipse winner would likely head for a mouthwatering clash with defending champion, Ombudsman, who is officially the highest-rated horse in the world after being given a mark of 132 following his explosive Prince of Wales's Stakes victory at Royal Ascot.

Constitution Hill entered for the Sky Bet Ebor

Tuesday 7 July

One of the feelgood stories of the year could continue at York on Saturday 22^nd August, after Constitution Hill was entered for the Sky Bet Ebor.

After a fabulous career over hurdles the Nicky Henderson-trained star has shifted to contending in major flat handicaps. His initial runs generated excitement both in the stands and in the betting markets. Watch this space…..

Entries for the feature races

Tuesday 7 July

To see the full list of entries for the early-closing feature races at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival follow the links

Group One races here.

Group Two races here.