The prestigious York Ebor Festival in August is undoubtedly one of the biggest betting events of the year in the United Kingdom. The four-day meeting features several Group races and top-class handicaps, each of which provide punters with useful form pointers for later in the season.
Some of the races at the Ebor Festival are a stepping stone to major contests in Australia including the iconic Melbourne Cup in November.
With that in mind, read on as we look at some of the horses who will be bidding to showcase their big race credentials during the upcoming meeting at York.
Weld Eyeing Another Tilt at the Melbourne Cup
Dermot Weld was the first European trainer to saddle the winner of the Melbourne Cup, achieving the feat with Vintage Crop (1993) before following up with Media Puzzle (2002).
He is considering another attempt at winning ‘the race that stops the nation’ with promising stayer Harbour Wind following his recent victory at Limerick.
The horse overcame a near nine-month absence to win the Listed Martin Molony Stakes and has a couple of potential engagements lined up at York.
Weld is considering running the horse in either the Lonsdale Cup or Ebor Handicap and a victory at York would spark a shake-up in the Melbourne Cup market.
With bettors already eagerly searching for Melbourne Cup tips despite the race being more than three months away, there will be plenty of focus on Harbour Wind next month. Weld confirmed after the Limerick contest that the four-year-old could be aimed at the race, although he admitted there are ‘many bridges to cross before then’.
“It was a workmanlike, battling performance under a very good ride from Chris Hayes,” Weld said. “We’ll see how he comes out of the race and discuss future plans with the owner as to where we go next. He’ll be sharper for that.
“The Melbourne Cup is in my thoughts, but it is early days and we will see how the year progresses. He has to step up considerably.”
Mullins Could be Triple-Handed in Melbourne
Willie Mullins has made no secret of his desire to win the Melbourne Cup and is eager to have another crack at the race this year.
He is planning to use the Ebor Festival as the next step along the road for three of his talented stayers – Belloccio, Absurde and Vauban.
Belloccio is on track to line-up in the Ebor Handicap after winning well at Royal Ascot, while Absurde and Vauban could contest the Lonsdale Cup.
Absurde won the Ebor Handicap last year on his way to finishing seventh in the Melbourne Cup and will once again use York to warm-up for his run in Australia. He’s no stranger to jumps fans either, his last outing being a handy length victory in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Belloccio triumphed in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in June – the same race Vauban won on his way to running in the Melbourne Cup.
Vauban finished 14th last year despite being made favourite for the race, and owner Rich Ricci is keen to head Down Under again in November. The horse ran well to finish fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup and Ricci believes he will be more competitive at Flemington Racecourse this time around.
“We’re definitely going back to Melbourne – 100 percent,” Ricci told Sky Sports Racing. “Melbourne is definitely the plan and we’ll see what we do from here.
“We’ve been second, third, sixth, nowhere – we learned a lot last year and we’re going to change things up a bit this year.”
Mullins has another six horses entered in the Ebor Handicap including Ethical Diamond, who ran a race full of promise when finishing fourth in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot. The step up 14 furlongs should suit the horse and he could become a live Melbourne Cup contender if he emerges victorious at York.
