All eyes in the horse racing world turn to York on Wednesday, 20 August for the Ebor Festival 2025 day 1 card that contains the best race on turf in the world last season. The valuable Juddmonte International Stakes over a slightly-extended mile-and-a-quarter headlines the opening card of the Knavesmire track’s major meeting.
Group races like this attract small but select fields with some top thoroughbreds on show. This year’s Juddmonte International has runners from France and Japan in it, as well as the usual Anglo-Irish dust up horse racing fans have come to expect. Chief among the half-dozen declared are Eclipse 1-2 Delacroix and Ombudsman.
Supporting the big race on Ebor Festival 2025 day 1 is the Group 2 Great Voltigeur where dual Derby hero Lambourn is the headline act. Three of his stable companions also figure, so it’s sure to be a thorough test en route to autumn targets. The other pattern race on the card is the juveniles only Group 3 Acomb Stakes over seven furlongs.
There are some handicaps for punters to puzzle out as well, with two sprints and one long-distance event. When there’s variety between the flying five furlongs and a two-mile marathon, we reach for expert advice. They study form for York, plus the odds from horse racing betting sites seeking a bit of value for you. Read their thoughts on six fabulous races from the Knavesmire below…
York Ebor Festival 2025 Day 1 Preview for Wednesday, 20 August
1:50 – 5f 89y Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap (Heritage Handicap)
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Squealer is 6lb worse off with re-opposing third Azure Angel from his last York outing, but the runner-up coming out and landing the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes during Glorious Goodwood is all the advertisement this form needs. Ed Bethell’s mare does have that swing in weight in her favour from the adjacent stall to the selection, so commands respect.
Sutton Bank trainer Kevin Ryan runs three, meanwhile, including two course winners in Bergerac and Mon Na Slieve. The former is a Knavesmire regular who finished sixth in this race 12 months ago off 2lb lower and thus behind re-opposing second Jordan Electrics. Bergerac is in better form than Jim Goldie’s veteran right now, however.
Three-year-olds have a poor record in this contest, but Richard Spencer looks to have laid The Man out for it since winning here in the spring. Other course winners to consider include Ruth Carr runner Brazen Bolt, who takes on re-opposing third Curious River again, and Air Force One.
Paul Midgley’s in-form Spring Is Sprung has a 5lb penalty after an 8lb rise for hitting a hat-trick. Joint-topweight Roman Dragon is a Chester specialist, but won last time out, as did Richard Fahey’s Vintage Clarets, who ran eighth here 12 months ago. Windsor Sprint Series Final runner-up Trefor has been consistent for Charlie Hills, meanwhile.
2:25 – 7f Group 3 Acomb Stakes
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Charlie Appleby and William Buick have had promising youngsters turned over on the Knavesmire in this in the past, however. The chief threat comes from Superlative Stakes second Italy for Aidan O’Brien and his Coolmore backers. He wasn’t disgraced, albeit a beaten favourite at odds-on, in that Group 2 contest during the July Festival.
It’s worth noting that Adrian Keatley’s Rochfortbridge beat the same horse Italy did on debut by the same distance. With the runner-up from Ayr and Leopardstown landing a Listed race around Tipperary since, it could make this locally-trained runner a bit of each-way value.
Goodwood Galaxy, rated 104, never troubled the leaders when fourth in the Vintage Stakes for David Menuisier during the Glorious meeting, but could add some context to this form. Andrew Balding’s Gewan is another with one start and a win under his belt, so has done nothing wrong.
3:00 – 1m 4f Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes (Colts & Geldings)
Ballydoyle have won the St Leger trial on Ebor Festival 2025 day 1 in each of the last two seasons with O’Brien saddling four of the seven runners. LAMBOURN is the clear pick of that quartet after his Epsom and Irish Derby heroics, despite giving weight all-round under a penalty. He sets a clear and obvious form standard.
Queen’s Vase scorer Carmers also carries a penalty, but not so large and has proven himself other further than today’s trip en route to the St Leger. Paddy Twomey runs this unbeaten colt over the shortest distance of his career so far. The reason why he rated the biggest threat to Lambourn is because the others have questions to answer.
O’Brien pair Mount Kilimanjaro and Stay True have both been off the track since May, so that’s a concern. Thrice, meanwhile, has twice been no match for Lambourn. Dante winner Pride Of Arras hasn’t built on his course success in this grade, meanwhile, and since had the cruellest cut of all.
William Haggas swerves this with Gordon Stakes scorer Merchant, meanwhile, and instead relies on Arabian Force. Stepping him up in trip looks a shrewd move after he just failed to land the 1m 3f Glasgow Stakes by a nose, but this also demands more than that Listed event.
3:35 – 1m 2f 56y Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes
John & Thady Gosden have won the Juddmonte International with older horses twice in the last four seasons. Ombudsman could well avenge his Esher defeat if Birr Castle runs the finish out of Delacroix, who was uneasy in the ante-post betting before being the only Ballydoyle inmate among final declarations.
Away from these old rivals, See The Fire is 2-2 at York and her course form commands her respect as best of the rest. On the Prince Of Wales run from Royal Ascot, Balding’s filly has something to find with Ombudsman. Anmaat split them in second that day, yet doesn’t take them on again with future battles ahead in the autumn.
Japan send Danon Decile over for a tilt at this valuable prize, but he lacks a recent run after landing the Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup Night from subsequent King George hero Calandagan, second in this 12 months ago. Francis-Henri Graffard completes the line-up with unbeaten dark horse Daryz, yet this demands more than his latest Prix Eugene Adam success.
4:10 – 2m 56y Stayers Handicap (Heritage Handicap)
With Buick booked to ride, Alphonse Le Grande will have his supporters over from Ireland. Tony Martin’s charge won consolation races for long-distance handicaps before just doing enough to the Cesarewitch last autumn. He’s effectively 9lb higher in the weights on Ebor Festival 2025 day 1, however, so there’s each-way value elsewhere.
Course and distance winner TERRORISE is only 1lb out of the handicap, but won readily enough here last time to think he can go well again off a bottom weight for Brian Ellison. He books Hollie Doyle for the ride now. Terrorise meets a number of horses who ran in the Shergar Cup Stayers race last time.
Fireblade prevailed in that event the weekend before last, but runner-up Almuhit has an eye-catching jockey booking in Wayne Lordan here. Dancing In Paris shapes like he will win one of these staying handicaps some day after hitting the frame in both Newcastle’s Northumberland Plate behind Spirit Mixer and the Summer Handicap at Goodwood last time.
Santorini Star steps up in trip for Haggas and Tony Bloom after the filly ran fourth in a Group 3 around Fairyhouse last time. She was nearest at the finish in the Stanerra Stakes, earning a 3lb rise from the British handicapper for those Irish exploits. Other local stables have runners here, meanwhile, but they make little appeal
4:45 – 5f Fillies’ Heritage Handicap
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Even more difficult than the opener and 8/1 the field after final decs. With just a neck between them here last time, Luna A Inbhir Nis could see the tables turned on her by LADY ROXBY if Stall 21 and draw bias favours the high numbers. Michael Herrington’s filly gained on the re-opposing winner with every stride and now meets the Katie Scott runner off 1lb better terms.
If returning to her Listed head second over course and distance earlier in the campaign, meanwhile, topweight Star Of Mehmas should go well. Richard Hughes once again books Ryan Moore on Ebor Festival 2025 day 1 for the ride after hitting the bar on more than one occasion when paired together. Ruby’s Profit has been consistent for the Dr Richard Newland stable, so could make the frame again.
Forager has won over course and distance, so jumps from Stall 1 knowing what a Knavesmire sprint is all about. Since the introduction of this race, no filly has won it off a run within three weeks, which helps whittle down the field a bit. Galaxy Zoo and Novamay are both in-form females, but drawn in the middle of the course. Iain Jardine drops Queens Guard back in trip, meanwhile, which could prove a shrewd move.
Despite running too close to the race, based on trends, it’d be foolish to ignore Bethell’s Fluoresence as she represents a local yard. Irish raiders Sarahmae and Eclairage come with caution advised as the former won with a 5lb claimer aboard last time, so now effectively goes off 10lb higher, and the latter has only won on the All-Weather. Saratoga Special may be handicapped out of this, because of a hike for her Listed victory at Ayr.
