The Juddmonte International at York is shaping up to be one of the races of the season and it is easy to see why people are getting excited about it.
The 2022 edition was won by the mighty Baaeed and if any horse comes close to emulating him on the Knavesmire then we are in for a treat.
Taking place during the four-day Ebor Handicap meeting, the Group 1 Juddmonte International is the highlight on Day 1 at York's premier fixture.
2023 Juddmonte International Contenders:
Paddington
Paddington is most certainly the box office star they all want to see racing in the Juddmonte International at York.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt has won om all six of his starts this season, including four Group Ones.
Victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas was followed up by a success in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, then he beat his elders in the Eclipse over a mile and a quarter and the Sussex Stakes over a mile.
He reverts back to the 1m2½f Juddmonte trip on August 23 and is the one they all have to beat, no question about it.
Mostahdaf
The famous Shadwell Stud blue colours will be carried this year by Mostahdaf and he will be ridden by the Italian maestro Frankie Dettori due to Jim Crowley being suspended.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the colt was a brilliant winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the five-year-old has come on a bundle since finishing stone last in last season’s Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
A nine time winner already, this son of Frankel looks the chief danger to the O’Brien hot pot.
Desert Crown
Course-and-distance winner Desert Crown looks set to make his second appearance of his four-year-old campaign after being scrubbed from the Royal Ascot betting back in June.
The 2022 Derby winner has had no end of problems since that fateful afternoon at Epsom; however Sir Michael Stoute has got him right again for a tilt at this Group One prize after an absence of 90 days.
Bay Bridge
Sir Michael Stoute will only run his Bay Bridge if there is some juice in the ground so punters need to keep a watchful eye on the weather forecasts for Ebor week before committing to any bets.
A half-length runner-up to Luxembourg in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh could not be followed up and he finished seven lengths behind easy winner Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Onesto
Those of you looking for an each-way outsider in the Juddmonte may want to consider the French raider Onesto.
The four-year-old was running on eye-catchingly in the Group One Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville recently, and at 16/1 in our horse racing odds, is worth some sort of play should the ground come up soft.
Juddmonte International Odds
Following the confirmation stage, the 2024 Juddmonte International betting market looks like this:
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
