Fans of horse racing sprints will flock to the Knavesmire as the York Ebor Festival 2025 day 3 card has the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes headlining it on Friday, 22 August. This division is wide-open and 17 speedsters including some juvenile fillies run in the feature all-aged race.
The younger a horse is, then more weight for age they receive in the Nunthorpe. That has tempted connections of Goodwood winners Lady Iman and Spicy Marg to throw their precocious females in at the deep end. Supporting the feature race over the flying five furlongs are two Group 2 races. Stayers tackle the Lonsdale Cup, while juvenile colts and geldings take part in the Gimcrack Stakes.
Also run on Ebor Festival 2025 day 3 are three Heritage Handicaps. The first of these is a mile-and-a-half race that only has older horses in it this years. Later on the card, fillies and mares contest an extended mile-and-a-quarter event. Finally, after the Convivial Maiden, three-year-olds test themselves in the Sky Bet Mile.
York’s penultimate day of their big meeting again has loads of variety in what’s on show. That breadth of coverage means our experts have their work cut out for them as ever in finding winners. That’s their stock in trade, though, and we’ve had them leafing through the form book once again in search of horses of interest.
Combining that research with the best available odds from online horse racing bookmakers helps you track down value. Read on and discover our experts’ Friday fancies from the Knavesmire with selections made for each of the Group races and those Heritage Handicaps below…
York Ebor Festival 2025 Day 3 Preview for Friday, 22 August
1:50 – 1m 4f Heritage Handicap
It’s a winner for @WillieMullinsNH at #RoyalAscot as ETHICAL DIAMOND takes the DUKE OF EDINBURGH Stakes with Ryan Moore in the saddle. Congratulations to connections. pic.twitter.com/Q10eepqPw4
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 20, 2025
Naqeeb has since chased home an improving horse conceding 13lb to him during Glorious Goodwood, so remains in good form. French Duke represents big-spending owners Wathnan Racing and last year’s winning trainer Roger Varian, but he flopped again at that big meeting. Mount Atlas has the welter burden of 10st, but won subsequent to Royal Ascot, so looks the bigger danger.
Of the others, the six-year-olds with course form could roll back the years. Chillingham didn’t finish first past the post in an amateurs’ race here in June, but ended up being awarded the contest after one home in front broke whip rules. Marhaba The Champ won this two years ago off 3lb higher, but has left Kevin Ryan’s yard for the Sophie Leech stable.
Irish raiders Zanndabad and This Songisforyou will have their supporters, but aren’t exactly in brilliant form right now. Last season’s eighth Insanity tries to win the race off a 2lb higher mark for Alan King, but doesn’t arrive on the Knavesmire in the same shape as 12 months ago. The remainder make no appeal whatsoever.
2:25 – 2m 56y Group 2 Lonsdale Cup
Another win on the Knavesmire for the @karl_burke-trained Al Qareem in the G3 John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes 🏆 pic.twitter.com/BKOWzRVo7Q
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) July 12, 2025
Karl Burke’s charge returns to the track on Ebor Festival 2025 day 3 after landing Listed and Group 3 prizes over a mile-and-three-quarters here. Al Qareem goes from the front, but was just not for passing in turning away challengers in both the Grand Cup and John Smith’s Silver Cup. Al Nayyir pressed Vauban very close in this race 12 months ago, but hasn’t reproduced that form since.
Tom Clover’s charge races lazily and, while going one better looks as though it’s been a long-term target, he hasn’t proven it wasn’t a fluke yet. Curragh Cup second Shackleton receives weight all-round as a three-year-old, but Aidan O’Brien doesn’t run Illinois. Sweet William and Godolphin’s other runner Dubai Future are exposed types now with neither a match for Trawlerman previously.
3:00 – 6f Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes (Colts & Geldings)
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid runs two on Ebor Festival 2025 day 3 here, both representing Yorkshire local stables. It might be worth hedging on them with ROCK ON THUNDER a bit of value, having chased home Wise Approach last time. Ryan’s runner had to jump from the middle of the draw during Royal Ascot, which can’t have helped and the smaller field might suit him better.
Burke, meanwhile, saddles the 99-rated RECIPROCATED. He bolted up in a valuable Carlisle novice on his penultimate outing and then raced too freely over further at Ascot last time. If Reciprocated can settle, then he could get his career back on track. Of the others, Egoli has won over course and distance before and could shape better here than his sixth in the July Stakes.
3:35 – 5f Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes
One of the better rides you will see from @loughnane_billy, steering Sayidah Dariyan to victory in the Group Three @WilliamHill Summer Stakes, the filly staying on strongly to the line 👏 pic.twitter.com/BBlYb5DXxX
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) July 11, 2025
Also drawn low near Sayidah Dariyan is Ger Lyons two-year-old Lady Iman, who races off a featherweight of 8st 2lb. She’s done nothing wrong over this minimum trip in juvenile only races, but now steps into open company on Ebor Festival 2025 day 3. Sapphire Stakes 1-2 Arizona Blaze and Mgheera meet again off 2lb worse terms for the winner, but Adrian Murray’s Irish raider was well on top at the Curragh when scoring by a couple of lengths.
The revised weights should bring them closer together. Any number of re-opposing rivals from Glorious Goodwood take each other on once more. Jm Jungle prevailed on that occasion, but She’s Quality was just a neck behind and gaining all the time. Back in fourth was Frost At Dawn, in front of Night Raider, Australia’s Asfoora, placed in this last season, Kerdos and Spartan Arrow.
Of the others, course winners Washington Heights and Celandine can’t be ruled out. The former landed the City Walls Stakes last time out for Ryan and that has been a good form guide to the Nunthorpe down the years. Celandine, meanwhile, is working her way back to full race fitness with two good efforts in the frame for Walker.
4:10 – 1m 2f 56y Fillies’ Heritage Handicap
Cape Flora won in authoritative fashion for the Gosdens last time, meanwhile, and an 11lb rise in the weights forces her up in grade. She might be capable of acquitting herself at this higher level. The case for Goodwood second Wonder Star is weakened by the revised terms with re-opposing fourth and topweight Akecheta. William Haggas’ charge is 4lb worse off with the Irish raider, who could turn the tables.
David O’Meara saddles unexposed handicap debutante Brielle, who could be anything and should find this extra distance suitable. Her racecourse debut third to subsequent Listed scorer and 104-rated Suite Francaise suggests she’s well-handicapped off an opening mark of 81. Last year’s runner-up Bint Al Daar is also well-treated off a 6lb lower mark and under a 7lb claimer if reproducing that run from 12 months ago.
5:20 – 7f 192y Sky Bet Mile Heritage Handicap
pic.twitter.com/sk8yRAuUDm FIFTH COLUMN wins the bet365 Mile Handicap at Newmarket 👏🏆🏇
— Bet442 (@Bet442Official) July 12, 2025
The unbeaten Big Leader completed a hat-trick in Thirsk’s Summer Cup last time and, despite a further 3lb rise for that neck success, Geoff Oldroyd could have a gelding still going places on his hands. Switching back to a round, rather than a straight mile, could see Haydock Silver Bowl Teroomm to better effect, meanwhile. Varian books Oisin Murphy for the ride here, so that catches the eye.
Speaking of jockey bookings, James Ferguson has Moore aboard Montpellier, who tries this trip for the first time. He finished in front of re-opposing rival Yah Mo Be There as the pair were nearest at the finish in fourth and fifth over seven furlongs at Glorious Goodwood. The latter is a talking horse who just hasn’t delivered yet, but there’s still time for Richard Spencer to come good with him.
Fearnot gives lump of weight all-round after going up 20lb for two wins and a third on the Straight Mile at Ascot. Clive Cox’s charge hardly looks thrown in off a revised mark of 104, and recent history shows it will take a Pattern level performance from him to score off topweight here. Haggas saddles Sea Force, who has gone close a couple of times, while even lower in the weights Impartiality and Point Of Contact could outrun their odds.
