The Musidora is a famous Oaks trial - but these other races could also unearth future stars at York on Wednesday

While the Musidora is a famous Oaks trial, it is not the only race on York's Wednesday card with a history of announcing big names of the future. Here are three more races on the card that have produced future stars.

Jorvik Handicap (2.20)

This is one of four 'win and you're in' races for the Sky Bet Ebor back here in August and it has become a major trial for that race. Last year's second, Stressfree, went on to finish fourth in the Ebor; the year before Kihavah was second in both races; and in 2022 winner Gaassee went off favourite in August, only to finish lame.

Plenty of other good horses have come from the race, too. The Reverend was beaten favourite in the Jorvik last year, then went on to win the Old Borough Cup. Kihavah won the Queen's Cup at Musselburgh. Just Fine, third in Gaassee's year, later won a Group 1 handicap in Australia. The only surprise, given the number of compatible options available, is how few horses use the Jorvik as a stepping stone to success at Royal Ascot.

Star potential this year: Plage De Havre

This horse's 2025 was cut off just as it was blooming. He did not run after winning the Old Newton Cup at Haydock in July, having been third in this race en route. He would have been entitled to need the run in a Listed race at Kempton just over a month ago and this should tell us a lot more about whether he has Ebor potential.

Plage De Havre14:20 York

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Jky: Oisin Murphy Tnr: Andrew Balding

Minster Stakes (3.30)

Formerly known as the Duke Of York Stakes, this is the biggest 6f sprint held in Britain before Royal Ascot. We get the odd false dawn, like Inisherin's purported revival last year and Azure Blue in 2023, but most of the time it tends to live up to its billing.

Mill Stream (2024) and Starman (2021) both used this race to build towards July Cup success. In between them, Highfield Princess announced herself on the way to becoming champion sprinter. In the late-2010s, winners like Harry Angel and Tasleet did more than enough to advertise the race's position as a sprinting bellwether, as much as they exist now in the weird and wonderful world of British Group 1 sprints.

Time For Sandals and Richard Kingscote win the Commonwealth Cup

Time For Sandals: Royal Ascot winnerCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

This is not the only indicative 6f race held on the card. The preceding £60,000 handicap over the same distance (2.55) does not quite make the cut as a wellspring of future stars in its own right, but note that in two of the last four years it has featured the same season's Ayr Gold Cup winner.

Star potential: Time For Sandals

Having returned odds of 25-1 when she won last year's Commonwealth Cup, and failed to back it up in the intervening 11 months, Time For Sandals is still seen as symptomatic of the random pattern in recent Group 1 sprints. In her case, the categorisation is arguably unfair. She has had legitimate excuses on all three runs since her Royal Ascot win, including when looking to need the run in the Abernant Stakes on her reappearance last month. She might yet have another big one in her.

Time For Sandals15:30 York

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Jky: Ryan Moore Tnr: Harry Eustace

7f handicap (4.40)

One horse leaps off the page when looking at recent winners of this handicap for three-year-olds. Space Blues won this in 2019 before becoming a multiple Group 1 winner between 6.5f and a mile later in his career.

He is easily the most famous horse to emerge from this race, but he is not the only one of significance. In 2021 a future winner of the Ayr Silver Cup (Wobwobwob) and International handicap (Northern Express) were first and second. Elmonjed was a warm order two years ago and has since then built himself up to becoming a Group-class sprinter. He runs in the Minster Stakes on Wednesday afternoon.

Star potential: Inishbeg

A half-brother to the smart Volterra, this horse started his career at the Ebor meeting last year, which is often a vote of confidence from his trainer Kevin Ryan. His two runs this season should have got him fit more than anything else and he still has plenty more to come. Unlike many of this race's most famous alumni, he may prove best over further rather than shorter.