Odds and Predictions on the 2024 Ebor Festival
A review of a big horse racing event.
The four-day Ebor Festival starts on Wednesday. This widely renowned horse racing event on the Knavesmire traditionally hosts the best horses of the season. The racecourse itself has a rich 300-year history. The John Carr Stand, constructed in 1754, remains in use today, albeit relocated. The Ebor meeting has been a staple since its inception in 1843.
Day 1
Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2, 3yo, 1m4f)
This race serves as a trial for the St Leger and has produced 15 winners of the final Classic race of the season, including last year’s winner Continuous from Aidan O'Brien.
This year’s favourite is also an O'Brien colt, Los Angeles. He won the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, was third in the Epsom Derby, and won the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Also entered from O'Brien's stable are Illinois
5/1
, a Royal Ascot winner, and Euphoric
50/1
King's Gambit
9/4
, trained by Harry Charlton, is another interesting entry. He won the Gold Cup Handicap at Newbury early in the season and has been second twice since. In his most recent race, the Sky Bet York Stakes, he was beaten by Alflaila.
Juddmonte International Stakes
This is a highlight of the Ebor meeting and features the prestigious Juddmonte International Stakes, the most valuable race at the Knavesmire. This race draws significant interest even from Japanese owners, although their highest result remains a second place, achieved by Zenno Rob Roy in 2005, who narrowly lost to Electrocutionist.
The race is also a coveted target for Irish owners, with the first edition of the prize in 1972 won by the Irish champion Roberto, trained by Dr. Vincent O’Brien (at that time the race was known as the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup). The event has also seen the triumphs of legendary horses such as Giant's Causeway, Sea The Stars, and Frankel.
This year’s Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1, 3yo+, 1m2½f) features a strong lineup including Aidan O'Brien-trained City of Troy and a dozen other contenders. City of Troy, a son of Justify, has had a remarkable year, securing victories in the Derby and Coral-Eclipse following a sole career defeat in the Guineas. City of Troy is the ante-post favourite. Also entered from O'Brien’s stable is Hans Andersen, co-owned by the lads from Coolmore and Georg von Opel.
Next are the French raider Calandagan (7/1), trained by Francis Graffard, who won the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the three-year-olds Ambiente Friendly, who was second to City of Troy at Epsom and third in the Irish Derby.
Bluestocking, the only filly in the race, won the Irish version of the Pretty Polly Stakes and finished second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Shadwell has two representatives: Alflaila
10/1
, who won his last race, the Sky Bet York Stakes, and Israr
33/1
, a winner of a listed race at Royal Ascot. They are trained by Owen Burrows and John and Thady Gosden, respectively.
Another French raider, Zarakem
9/1
, was beaten by Auguste Rodin at Ascot in his last start.
The Japanese representative Durezza
25/1
, winner of the Japanese version of the St Leger last year, has high odds to win. He had a poor run in the Tenno Sho at Kyoto in April and has not raced since.
, third in the Coral-Eclipse, Maljoom
25/1
, second in the Sussex Stakes, Docklands
33/1
, who has been second three times this season, and Royal Rhyme
66/1
, who won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in a field of four runners.Day 2
Yorkshire Oaks
This is a race where traditionally fillies and mares compete, and where we've seen champions like Enable and Alpinista before their great victories in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Queen Of The Pride from the John & Thady Gosden stable is considered the favorite. The four-year-old filly won the bet365 Lancashire Oaks and previously the Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes (formerly The Pinnacle Stakes). Her stablemate Emily Upjohn is priced at
7/2
Also holding high hopes are the Irish filly You Got To Me
4/1
trained by Ralph Beckett and Content
11/4
from the A P O'Brien stable, who finished second in this race last year.
Day 3
Nunthorpe Stakes Day
The Nunthorpe Stakes is the most prestigious sprint race, and thus one of the most challenging. This race is open to horses aged two years and older, but the last two-year-old to win was Kingsgate Native in 2007, whose stud career didn't go as planned. It is one of the rare races where two-year-olds can compete and the only Group 1 race in Britain open to two-year-old geldings.
This year, there are no two-year-olds in the lineup. Currently, there are 15 participants, with two standing out: Asfoora, a six-year-old mare trained by Henry Dwyer, and Big Evs, a three-year-old colt from Michael Appleby's stable. In their last two encounters, they have exchanged victories. First, Asfoora won the King Charles III Stakes at Ascot, leaving the favorite Big Evs in third place. Then, Big Evs took revenge in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood, where he narrowly beat Asfoora by a short head.
Day 4
The final day of the Ebor meeting features the Ebor Handicap, which originally gave rise to the event itself. Now it stands as one of the most valuable flat handicaps in Europe. As usual, the handicap is complex to predict, but betting on it can offer substantial rewards.
Queenstown, trained by Aidan O'Brien, looks like a strong contender, especially in the absence of stablemate Kyprios, to whom Queenstown has lost twice this season.
Epic Poet from David O'Meara's stable has never raced over 1m6f but has demonstrated his stamina, finishing second in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Ascot.
Naqeeb trained by William Haggas, showed progress in his last start, losing by just a head in the Mettal UK Handicap (2m½f) at Newbury after a poor start.
Dermot Weld has entered Harbour Wind. The four-year-old gelding has not raced in Britain yet but secured a second-place finish in his last start of last year in France, in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay during the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting. This year, he won the Martin Molony Stakes on June 22 and has not raced since.
England
Ireland
Italy
France
Israel
Belgium
Makedonia
Faroe Islands
Latvia
Armenia
