SKY BET EBOR FESTIVAL - THE HORSES ARE COMING...

29 July

Acceptors for Group contests

With the days counting down, thoughts are already turning to the flagship Sky Bet Ebor Festival (20-23 August), the next stage of entries known as “acceptors” are now known.

There is now a Group One contest on each of the four days at a Festival offering record prize money, which is comfortably in excess of £7,000,000.

The Juddmonte International was the Longines World’s Best Race in 2024 and the Wednesday showpiece could be another strong renewal. International by name and nature, a Japanese star, Danon Decile, has already won at the highest level and is expected in Newmarket in early August. An unbeaten French contender in Darzy represents Francois Graffard for HH The Aga Khan. The Emerald Isle has a dozen live contenders spread over two yards; most attention will fall on the reigning English & Irish Derby hero, Lambourn. The UK challenge could feature Field of Gold who was so eye-catching in Juddmonte colours, when winning at the top table at both the Irish Guineas and Royal Ascot.

Thursday is Ladies Day both off and on the track, with the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks as the feature contest. A classic winner from Epsom 2025 (Minnie Hauk) and The Curragh 2024 (You Got Me) could clash, with Whirl a bridesmaid filly since she won on the Tattersalls Musidora in May. Local hopes may rest on Estrange who gave David O’Meara’s operation hope of yet better when winning at Haydock.

Amongst the juvenile fillies, the Sky Bet Lowther indicates both talent and future potential; Venetian Sun is 3 from 3 in her career to date with the Karl Burke trained illy set to face local rivals such as Lunar Melody who Richard Fahey handles for Wathnan Racing.

It is all of speed, stamina and potential on Friday with the Group One Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe taking centre stage. Over in under a minute, the smallest of margins could separate the remaining twenty-eight entrants. Rare in letting juvenile horses take on their elders in a Group One, it is always fascinating to see if the weight-for-age table designed by Admiral Rous favours one of the pair of two-year-olds (True Love & Zelania) or whether the Group One experience of the older horses comes out on top. There is a Royal Ascot Group One winner in Time For Sandals with Asfoora adding international intrigue as a returning Aussie star.

A brace of Group 2 contests provide the stamina (Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup) and a source of potential (The Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack). The stayers division has a new hero in Scandinavia with the Goodwood Cup winner entered in both the Lonsdale Cup and the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur on Thursday against this own age group. A host of proven Knavesmire winners, Al Qareem, Trawlerman, Absurde and Continuous will hope to lift the Cup. Havanna Hurricane is a Royal Ascot winner (Listed Windsor Castle Stakes) with Egoli a Knavesmire winner in the same week, both amongst thirty-six juveniles still hoping to land their Owner the chance to speak at the Gimcrack Dinner.

The newest Group One in the UK, the Sky Bet City of York will bring the festival to a close on Saturday, alongside the Sky Bet Ebor. A seven-furlong affair means proven winners at six-furlongs (such as Lazzat) face the known milers (such as Rosallion) over the unusual trip. Those with a known taste for the distance such as past winners Audience and Kinross should be in the mix. Aidan O’Brien has left The Lion in Winter in the £600,000 contest, with York the scene of probably his finest hour to date when landing the Tattersalls Acomb last August.

Click here for full details of entries as at Tuesday 29 July.

26 July

Calandagan set to make a return to the Juddmonte International

After his win the the King George VI Stakes Calandagan is set to make a return to the Juddmonte International Stakes. The highest rated horse trained in France will be hoping to improve on a placed finish last year on the Knavesmire, with his performance at Ascot clearly an encouraging one.

Trainer, Francois Graffard said: “We’ll see how he comes out of the race, (at Ascot), but he’s in the Juddmonte International and why not, I wouldn’t mind going back there. I would have no problem bringing him back to 10 furlongs, but I will discuss it with the owner.

23 July

Trainer Aiden O'Brien has confirmed that Camille Pissarro and Delacroix are being trained for the Juddmonte International Stakes on Wednesday 20th August.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has confirmed that Camille Pissarro and Delacroix are being trained for the Juddmonte International Stakes on Wednesday 20th August. Delacroix showed an impressive turn of foot, after meeting trouble in running, to win the Coral Eclipse at Sandown with Camille Pissarro finishing fourth place on that occasion. Camille Pissarro had previously triumphed in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club in France,

22 July

Impressive Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes set to return

Winner Pride Of Arras could make his first start since undergoing a gelding operation back at York in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes.

The Ralph Beckett-trained horse is one of two options the owner/trainer have in the race with the unbeaten recent Royal Ascot winner Amiloc another possible for the Group 2 race run on the first day of The Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

21 July

Danon Decile, last year's Group 1 Japanese Derby winner and this year's Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic victor, is scheduled to depart from Narita Airport on August 5 to contest the G1 Juddmonte International Stakes on the first day of The Sky Bet Ebor Festival on Wednesday August 20^th.

17 July

Never So Brave is to step up into Group One company for his next start in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes.

The gelded son of No Nay Never has thrived since making the switch to trainer Andrew Balding following the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute at the end of last season having won two of his three starts this term.

After tasting defeat on his stable debut at Chester, the Saeed Suhail-owned four-year-old atoned for that reversal with an impressive victory in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. And on Saturday he took his form to even greater heights when coming from well off the pace to win the Group Two Summer Mile Stakes back at the Berkshire track.

Balding said: “I was thrilled with the effort and he has come out of that run well. We have decided to wait now for the City Of York. It is now a Group One worth lots of money and he doesn’t get a penalty in that. He has improved a lot this season and he is starting to look like a really smart horse. I think we can run in those good races over seven furlongs and a mile. We’ve not really looked at anything beyond York yet as that is the next plan.”

15 July

Group Two & Heritage Handicap Entries

With each passing day the excitement for the Sky Bet Ebor Festival is building.

The entries have been made for the leading Group Two contests, with chatter about running plans a daily feature. On 12 July the Karl Burke trained Al Qareem confirmed himself to be a classy stayer when winning the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup. His trainer is leaning towards a further run in Pattern company with the Group 2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup a more likely next run than a tilt at the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor.

All four horses that won a Race To The Ebor have been entered for the famous handicap on Saturday 23 August. Tabletalk (Melrose 2024) had a sighter in the John Smith’s Silver Cup behind the aforementioned Al Qareem (Grand Cup), the same Karl Burke yard are responsible for Almosh’her (Jorvik), with Mr Percy (Curragh ) the Irish contender.

As always, the juvenile contests look mouthwatering with Royal Ascot stars a plenty.

14 July

Another Notable Runner for City Of York

Another classic winner has the Knavesmire on their agenda, after Charlie Appleby told ITV that Notable Speech was being primed for the Group One Sky Bet City of York Stakes. The English Guineas winners is being tested over a variety of trips and the seven furlongs of the £600,000 contest on Saturday 23 August may yet prove ideal.

14 July

No surprise to see Washington scale new heights

Connections of Washington Heights, winner of the Listed John Smith’s City Walls have said “it would be no surprise” if their smart victor were to take up his entry in the Group One Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe, on Friday 22 August.

11 July

Zavateri cut in the Gimcrack Market

After winning the Group 2 July Stakes, connections of Zavateri are looking at the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack Stakes (22 August) as the next logical step. The Eve Johnston Houghton trained colt beat better known rivals at Newmarket and the betting markets responded by cutting him in price to 8/1 for the famous York contest.

10 July

Queen’s Vase Winner Carmers Possible Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Runner

Paddy Twomey's Queen's Vase winner Carmers and the unbeaten son of Wootton Bassett could reappear at York in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes next month.

Carmers made a winning debut at Ballinrobe in May and followed up that success with an impressive display in the Listed Yeats Stakes at Navan eight days later, before his victory at Royal Ascot in June.

Epsom and Irish Derby winner Lambourn is currently favourite for the Great Voltigeur on Wednesday 20^th August the first day of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.

7 July

York on Aidan O'Brien's agenda for Eclipse winner, Delacroix

The Longines Best Race in the World continues to shape up as another heavyweight renewal. Aidan O’Brien has indicated that Delacroix, the courageous winner of the Coral Eclipse, is being aimed at the Juddmonte International on Wednesday 20 August.

Speaking to the Racing Post after the Sandown feature, the Ballydoyle handler said, “He has the choice of the Juddmonte or the Irish Champion Stakes next, or maybe even both. Those are the two races we have in mind for him now. He seems fine this morning and appears to have come out of it well, although he obviously hasn't done anything yet.

"He has a proper turn of foot. We knew he got a mile well last year, but the two times he ran at Leopardstown this year before the Derby were slowly run races, and he didn't half quicken. Somewhere like York would be made for him.”

Yorkshire Owner-Breeder aims for Group One Glory

Pocklington based Owner-Breeder, Charlie Bond has nominated the Group One Sky Bet City of York Stakes (August 23) as the intended next run his latest star acquisition. Leading French colt, Maranoa Charlie, ran for the first time in the well-known silks, black with yellow spots, finishing a notable second in the Prix Jean Prat. Still based in France, a raid on the Knavesmire’s newest top table prize is firmly the intention.

O’Meara signals bid for pan pennines Oaks double

Success in the Lancashire Oaks has connections of Estrange dreaming of a pan pennines double, with the Group One Pertemps Yorkshire Oaks (August 21) under serious consideration for the Cheveley Park star. Her trainer, David O’Meara, commented, “The York race would be the next target, it fits well in time.”

Plage de Havre an Ebor possible

Reigning champion trainer on the Knavesmire, Andrew Balding, is pondering a run in the Sky Bet Ebor (August 23) for Page de Havre. Success at Haydock means a step up in trip to the 1m 6f of the famous contest holds appeal.