David Morgan
York’s Ebor Festival is as fine a sports event as you’ll find anywhere thanks to its spellbinding blend of elite action, historic setting, good management, and a particularly knowledgeable and engaged crowd. And day one features one of world racing’s most esteemed Group 1 races, the Juddmonte International Stakes, plus Derby winner Lambourn racing in the G2 Great Voltigeur.
The Juddmonte has seen some shock results down the years and a small field of six includes the Godolphin pacemaker Birr Castle.
Birr Castle is in there to help Godolphin’s G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner Ombudsman and his rider William Buick: they will rematch with their G1 Eclipse Stakes conquerors, Delacroix and Ryan Moore. Ombudsman used revs early in the Sandown race when Moore’s jockeyship forced Buick into a three-wide spot through the initial stages; then the stiff uphill finish played to the closing Delacroix’s strength.
York is a different prospect: a flat track, a fair test with a long straight. But it pays to be handy; the course has often rewarded brave front-runners. That makes Japan’s Danon Decile a prime contender.
Last Year’s G1 Tokyo Yushun hero won the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in April and that mile and a half form is as good as you’ll find. He races prominently, is capable of leading if needed, and will attempt to better Japan’s Zenno Rob Roy who was second in this race 20 years ago. But this is his first race down in trip to 10 furlongs since January 2024.
France’s unbeaten three-year-old Daryz is four from four, has improved for each race, but will need to again.
Meanwhile, See The Fire’s mother Arabian Queen caused one of those famous Juddmonte upsets 10 years ago when she raced on the pace and defeated the Derby winner Golden Horn at odds of 50/1. See The Fire was a wide-margin winner here in May and history says she can’t be written off.
NAP: R3 #1 Lambourn
Jack Dawling
It’s rare to see a Derby winner in the Great Voltigeur, and you have to go back to 1987 and Reference Point to find the last Epsom hero to win the mile and half test, but Lambourn will take that route as connections look towards the autumn campaign, whether that be the St Leger, the Prix de l’Arc de Tromphe or both.
The son of Australia dictated proceedings at Epsom and while he wasn’t gifted another soft lead in the G1 Irish Derby at the Curragh in June, the Aidan O’Brien-trained three-year-old found just enough to fend off his Hong Kong-bound stablemate, Serious Contender.
He will have to give weight away to all six of his rivals – including three stablemates – when he jumps the likely short price favourite under Ryan Moore.
Among those is Paddy Twomey’s Carmers who arrives with a perfect three wins from as many starts, on the back of his success at Royal Ascot in the G2 Queen’s Vase, a race that has worked out well. Pride Of Arras, disappointing in both Derbys behind Lambourn, will hope to bounce back to the same level of form that saw him record an impressive win over 10 furlongs here in the G2 Dante Stakes in May.
NAP: R4 #4 See The Fire
Andrew Hawkins
Irish trainer Tony Martin is dangerous in these York handicaps, particularly when money comes.
It is nine years since he landed the Ebor with Heartbreak City, who was well supported late, but a decade ago – a year before his Ebor Handicap triumph – Heartbreak City easily won the two-mile handicap on Day 1 of the Ebor Festival.
This year, Martin sends out Cesarewitch winner Alphonse Le Grande in that same two-mile handicap and money has already flowed steadily since declarations. He is likely to start World Pool favourite if that trend continues.
Alphonse Le Grande, who lost the Cesarewitch on protest due to overuse of the whip but was then reinstated weeks later, has disappointed in his first two runs for the season and hasn’t been seen since Royal Ascot.
Ian Williams is another trainer who has won this race before, taking the prize with future Group winner Magic Circle in 2017. He saddles up Dancing In Paris, who was second to the Australia-bound Sam Hawkens at his last start at Glorious Goodwood.
The two-mile event is one of four handicaps on the first day undercard, with the other three all at sprint trips. ∎
NAP: R2 #4 Italy
