Horse Racing Preview: York Ebor Meeting 2020

12/03/2023
6 min. read
Horse Racing Tips Ebor York
Steve Mullington
By Steve Mullington

The Ebor Festival is a four-day racing festival that takes place this week at York Racecourse (Weds 19th August – Saturday 22nd August). It was first established in 1843 with the inaugural running of the Ebor Handicap.

Originally a 3-day race meeting, but now a 4-day one, the Ebor Festival features the Juddmonte International, the Yorkshire Oaks, Nunthorpe Stakes and of course the Ebor Handicap itself.

All of the races attract plenty of betting interest from the general public, especially on the online betting platforms. Here is what you can expect to see on each day of the York Ebor meeting:

DAY 1 - JUDDMONTE DAY (WEDNESDAY)

Coronation Cup and Coral-Eclipse winner Ghaiyyath is understandably all the rage for the Juddmonte International and it will require a herculean effort from one of his rivals to lower his colours on the opening day.

Charlie Appleby openly admits that Ghaiyyath is the best middle-distance horse he has trained, and barring accidents, he looks like one of the bankers of the week.

Haydock scorer Rhythm Master can be a major force in the Acomb Stakes, while Highland Chief is a decent each-way pick in the Great Voltigeur.

DAY 2 - YORKSHIRE OAKS DAY (THURSDAY)

  • 1.45 pm Lowther Stakes

  • 2.15 pm Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sales

  • 2.45 pm Clipper Logistics Stakes

  • 3.15 pm Darley Yorkshire Oaks (British Champion Series)

  • 3.45 pm British EBF and Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes

  • 4.20 pm EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap

  • 4.50 pm British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Stakes

As the Thompson Twins will testify, you need Love on your side when it comes to having a wager on the Yorkshire Oaks, and the dual Classic heroine is going to take some stopping in Thursday’s feature race. Naturally she’s very short in the horse racing odds.

Following her impressive victory in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Aidan O'Brien's filly was even more dominant in the Oaks at Epsom and she is now a leading contender for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October.

O'Brien has also entered his Oaks runner-up Ennistymon, as well as the multiple Group One winner Magical. What are the odds on an O’Brien 1-2-3? 

Royal Ascot scorer Blue Mist can play a leading role in the Clipper Logistics Stakes, while Kevin Ryan’s Hala Hala Hala is an interesting runner in the Lowther.

DAY 3 - NUNTHORPE DAY (FRIDAY)

  • 1.45 pm Sky Bet Stakes

  • 2.15 pm Lonsdale Cup (British Champions Series)

  • 2.45 pm Gimcrack Stakes

  • 3.15 pm Nunthorpe Stakes (British Champions Series)

  • 3.45 pm EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes

  • 4.20 pm EBF Fillies' Stakes

  • 4.50 pm Sky Bet Mile

Last year’s hero Battaash heads the betting in a field of ten for the five furlong dash- the Nunthorpe, one of the most eagerly awaited races of the week.

Battaash broke the track record for five furlongs on the Knavesmire 12 months ago and he finally got that dreaded York monkey off his back on his third attempt.

The six-year-old gelding comes to York on the back of demolishing his own best time at Glorious Goodwood in the King George Stakes, a race he has won four years on the trot.

The last time a three-year-old has been victorious in the Nunthorpe Stakes was back in 2011 (Margot Did), but young gun Art Power is certainly a serious contender this year.

Tim Easterby's sprinter has progressed through the handicap ranks, and then made his breakthrough at Group level last time out in the Lacken Stakes at Naas.

The way he brushed aside the useful Millisle by two and a half lengths made many people sit up and pay attention.

Two-year-old winners of the Nunthorpe are even rarer birds, but American trainer Wesley Ward believes that his Golden Pal can put in a Kingsgate Native-like performance and blitz them all away down the Knavesmire.

A narrow defeat to The Lir Jet in the Norfolk Stakes, plus a massive 24lb pull in the weights over Battaash, tell us that the US-raider cannot be underestimated.

Her Majesty The Queen can taste success with her horse Tactical in the Gimcrack Stakes, while Dashing Willoughby can outstay his rivals in the Lonsdale Cup.

DAY 4 - EBOR DAY (SATURDAY)

  • 1.50 pm Strensall Stakes

  • 2.25 pm Melrose Stakes

  • 3.00 pm City of York Stakes

  • 3.40 pm The Ebor Handicap

  • 4.10 pm Julia Graves Roses Stakes

  • 4.40 pm Sky Bet Stakes

  • 5.10 pm Apprentice Stakes

The Ebor, a 1m 6f handicap for horses aged four or more, is the highlight on the final day of the meeting and it is always a very popular betting heat with punters given the size of the field every year.

Trainer Alan King earmarked this race as far back as October last year for his gelding Trueshan, after he beat Hamish at Newbury.

Up to now it’s been so far, so good, for the four-year-old and he showed he is still a horse on the up when he outstayed his rivals in the Listed Tapster Stakes at Haydock.

However, he is a pretty ground dependent horse and you should probably give him a big swerve if the weather conditions for Saturday are predicted to be dry.

Roger Varian’s Fujaira Prince made light work of dispatching a decent enough field in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot and has to be a live contender once more in the Ebor. Andrea Atzeni teams up with him again and at this stage, he has to be on any shortlist.

David O’Meara is no stranger to a winner or two on the Knavesmire and his Eagles By Day may just be the key piece in the Ebor Puzzle.

Owned by York Races sponsors Clipper Logistics, the four-year-old is coming into his own in these staying races.

He landed the John Smith’s Silver Stakes at York last month before finishing just over five lengths behind Stradivarius in the Goodwood Cup. At this stage in proceedings Eagles By Day is one of our long range Ebor Festival tips.

Ebor Tips At 888sport

If you are looking for horse racing tips from York this week, then look no further than this blog. We will publish our daily betting tips here EVERY single day during The Ebor Festival.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 16th August 2020

About the Author See all Steve Mullington Articles
Steve Mullington
Steve Mullington

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.