Ireland's Ebor again? Unexposed 25-1 shot makes huge appeal at York

Ever Present
3.35 York, August 20
2pts each-way at 25-1

About a year ago I tipped up Hamish to win the Ebor in these pages at 20-1.

Agonisingly, he was punted into favouritism on the day but taken out just before the off due to unsuitable ground.

Hamish has since won two Group 3s, the September Stakes and the Ormonde on his seasonal reappearance this year, and looks to have a strong chance in the Ebor again off just 5lb higher.

With Tashkhan set to carry the top weight of 9st 12lb off a mark of 115, Hamish could once again be a few points too big in the market at 16-1 given how condensed the handicap is likely to be.

His trainer William Haggas often targets this meeting and it is clear Hamish's mark has been protected since his May return. He's unbeaten in two runs over the Ebor course and distance too, including a dominant win in the 2019 Melrose.

Like last year however, there is the risk the ground could be too quick for him, and Haggas has two other worthy contenders in Gaassee and Candleford. The former's third in the Old Borough Cup last time can be upgraded as he was stuck behind horses at an integral stage and his Group 1 entries earlier in the season were eyecatching.

However, I think there could be another potential market mover in this year's race and he could face the ante-post Ebor favourite Earl Of Tyrone in the 1m5f Listed race (7.30) at Down Royal on Friday.

Earl Of Tyrone is as short as 7-1 with the sponsors for the 1m6f Knavesmire test after notching a hat-trick in a Listed race last time, but he's improved 26lb this season and the question has to be asked about how much remains in the tank.

If you're looking for one who is unexposed and could yet climb higher the answer is Ever Present, another Irish-trained horse.

He started out life in bumpers and, after winning on his debut at Punchestown in October 2020, he chased home a trio of Willie Mullins-trained talents in Sir Gerhard, Kilcruit and Dysart Dynamo.

However, it is on the Flat where he has really started to excel and he won twice over 1m7f at Leopardstown this time last year – on good and good to firm, so there shouldn't be any last-minute Hamish-style disasters on that front.

He only just failed to give away 24lb plus Andrew Slattery's 3lb claim to Dinard Rose over 2m at the Curragh afterwards, once again travelling strongly and only emptying in the closing stages.

Ever Present signed off his season with another victory at Leopardstown, this time in the €117,500 1m5f Petingo Handicap off a mark of 100.

That race has been won by the likes of Pique Sous and Limini, but Ever Present comfortably recorded the best Racing Post Rating in the last decade.

His stylish, sustained challenge from the back of the pack resulted in a cosy half-length victory, and his RPR of 112 is 5lb higher than his official Irish handicap mark of 107, which is the perfect rating for a modern-day Ebor winner (the last three victors were rated 108).

Petingo runner-up Ciel D'Afrique hasn't been seen since, but the third Layfayette is 9lb higher after winning the Listed Devoy Stakes, Group 3 Alleged Stakes and Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes this season.

The fifth has won twice over fences, while the sixth beat Okita Soushi, one of the horses prominent in the Ebor betting, by ten lengths this month.

Ever Present has won three of his four starts on the Flat and is open to improvement this campaign, with Friday's race the perfect opportunity for him to tune up for York.

According to his trainer Jessica Harrington in her April stable tour for the Racing Post, he was "looking amazing" and heading to one of the Royal Ascot handicaps. He has presumably been aimed at the Ebor since missing that engagement.

Harrington is operating at a 23 per cent strike-rate at the time of writing and has had only two previous Ebor runners – outsiders Steps To Freedom (25-1, sixth) and Bob Le Beau (66-1, 12th) not disgracing themselves in 2012.

Ever Present is seemingly well up to that standard but looks to have been missed by the market. The sponsors go 16-1 for five places, but there is 25-1 available elsewhere.

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