The Ebor Handicap is currently the most valuable flat handicap in Europe and always takes place on the final day of the four-day Ebor Festival at York.
The race is run over a distance of one mile and six furlongs and has been run at York since 1843.
The word “Ebor” is actually an abbreviation of the Roman word, Eboracum, which was the Roman name for York.
A number of horses engaged in The Ebor in recent seasons have then headed out to Melbourne for the Spring Carnival.
Here is a look at the trends and statistics for The Ebor based on the last ten years. Just remember the race was cancelled in 2008 because of flooding at the track.
AGE (win-place-runs)
3-y-o: 0-2-4
4-y-o: 1-12-74
5-y-o: 5-8-55
6-y-o: 3-5-32
7-y-o+: 1-2-15
Five-year-olds have won five of the last ten runnings. That signals a positive for backers of: Muntahaa, Mustajeer, Lord Yeats, Blakeney Point, Saunter, Platitude, Whiskey Sour, Stratum and Mountain Bell.
Only one horse aged seven or older has won this race in the last thirty years (Litigant 2015). That signals a negative for: Dylan Mouth, Scotland, Nakeeta, Montaly, Sea The Lion and Fun Mac.
WEIGHTS
Weekender heads the weights on 9st 12lbs.
The four-year-old was beaten a neck by Marmelo in the Listed Grand Cup over course and distance back in June. No top-weight has won the Sky Bet Ebor since the great Sea Pigeon defied 10st in 1979.
Weekender's trainer John Gosden also runs Muntahaa (9st 9lb), a staying-on fourth in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket last month.
The Willie Mullins-trained Stratum (9st 2lb) is the market leader and has topped the horse racing betting odds since recording an easy three-length victory in the JLT Cup at Newbury on July 21st.
Ireland's leading Jump trainer Willie Mullins, who last took the Ebor with Sesenta in 2009, has another well-fancied contender in the Group One-winning hurdler Whiskey Sour (9st 3lb).
Other Irish-trained raiders include the seven-year-old Sea The Lion (9st 4lb/Jarlath Fahey), successful in all three starts so far this season, and the Ger Lyons-trained Mustajeer (9st 8lb), who was a close fourth in a Group Two race at Naas in May.
Last year's winner Nakeeta (9st 7lb) is bidding to become just the second two-time winner of the race, a feat last achieved in 1922 and 1923. Nakeeta showed signs of return to form when fifth behind Stratum at Newbury last time out.
Blakeney Point (9st 5lb) is the shortest-priced British-trained runner in the betting. He shaped with promise when a staying-on fourth in the Glorious Stakes over 12 furlongs at Goodwood at the start of August.
The November Handicap victor Saunter (9st 5lb) has to shoulder a 7lb penalty following wins at Compiegne and Newmarket.
The Tom Dascombe-trained Teodoro (9st 5lb) has a 4lb penalty after his front-running success in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock Park earlier in the month.
Hughie Morrison saddles one of the oldest runners in the field with Fun Mac (9st 2lb). The seven-year-old finished second behind Magic Circle in the Chester Cup in May and was last seen finishing a close third at Maisons-Lafitte in July.
Marco Botti is represented by both Dylan Mouth (9st 10), winner of the John Smith's Silver Cup over course and distance, and the Old Newton Cup Handicap second Crowned Eagle (9st 7lb).
Andrew Balding is another trainer doubly represented. In the first instance by last year's Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup winner Montaly (9st 5lb) and secondly by Scotland (9st 8lb).
RATINGS
The last ten winners have been rated between 88 and 106 with seven of them between 90 and 103.
DRAW
Eight winners have been drawn between 14 and 22, the two exceptions being stall 10 and 12.
The following horses have a supposedly “favourable” draw: Weekender, Muntahaa, Mustajeer, Crowned Eagle, Nakeeta, Lord Yeats, Sea The Lion, Whiskey Sour and Fun Mac – a total of nine horses.
PRICE
Winners of the last ten runnings have been priced between 7/2 and 33/1 with six of them going off at 20/1 or under.
HORSES TO CONSIDER
It may be highly unoriginal pick but Stratum (nap) sneaking into the 20-strong field at number 19 must have been music to the ears of Willie Mullins, and he will certainly go off favourite on the back of his display at Newbury.
After finishing third in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he ran on well after encountering traffic problems, he went to Newbury and gave a decent field of stayers a three-length beating.
His mark of 102 probably underestimates his abilities and he really does look like a handicap “snip”.
Although all the statistics and trends look to be conspiring against Nakeeta, the seven-year-old still really stands out as a live contender based upon his back class and is a much better horse than the majority of this field.
Callum Rodriguez is taking a further 3lb’s off his back on Saturday after and Rodriguez is in top form at the moment, riding several winners of late.
Since Nakeeta’s Melbourne Cup exertions last November, Iain Jardine has slowly but surely been building up during this campaign and a big Saturday handicap scalp could quite easily be in the offing.
888sport suggests: Stratum (nap) Nakeeta (e/w).
