Group horses in the Ebor? Weighing up the key runners in Britain’s richest Flat handicap

The Ebor Handicap has an illustrious roll of honour, with many prominent runners going on to Group-race success. Here, we look at this year’s main contenders…

Epic Poet

Form: 670-625

Strengths: Having opened up as big as 25-1 in places last month, Epic Poet is now vying for favouritism. The David O'Meara-trained five-year-old was a victim of trouble in running on his latest start in the John Smith’s Cup and had to wait until the final furlong before being allowed a proper run. By then, victory was beyond him but he stayed on to finish an eyecatching fifth. Previously he had finished second to subsequent Group 3 winner Crystal Black in the Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot. That is good form and Crystal Black is now favourite for the Melbourne Cup.

Weaknesses: By Lope De Vega out of the 1m2f winner Sagaciously, he has to prove he will stay this new trip of 1m6f. Although he has caught the eye on his last two runs, he went up 3lb in the handicap to a mark of 100 after the John Smith's Cup.

Odds: 9-1

Queenstown

Form: 221-322

Strengths: The first thing to note about Queenstown is his form with Kyprios. He has been the sparring partner of the dual Gold Cup winner at home and on the track and next week’s assignment will mark his first race away from his stablemate since March. The four-year-old was set to run in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot but was ruled out on vet’s advice, so Aidan O’Brien set his sights on the Ebor. Having finished a length behind the now 120-rated Kyprios off level weights in the Levmoss Stakes in May, he runs here off 107 with nine entries rated higher than him.

Queenstown (left) chases home stablemate Kyprios in the Levmoss StakesCredit: Patrick McCann

Weaknesses: He will turn up for the Ebor having been away from the track for 99 days. Although he won after an 182-day break last November, that was in a maiden when priced at 4-6 and he failed to win on his seasonal reappearance after a 140-day break. 

Odds: 10-1

Harbour Wind

Form: 12112-1

Strengths: Looking for his first success in the race, Dermot Weld sends Harbour Wind to the Ebor on the back of a winning reappearance in the Listed Molony Stakes. The four-year-old was well backed into a starting price of 6-5 and knuckled down well to repel the late challenge of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Dancing Tango. The runner-up came from off the pace with a late challenge while Harbour Wind sat prominently, so to sustain his effort in the final furlong was promising. The ceiling of his ability is still unknown and, having had a good break since that victory in June, the chance of bouncing from the run may be reduced. The form of his second in the 2023 Prix Chaudenay looks rock-solid as the winner, Double Major, won a Group 1 on his next start and both the third (Shembala) and fourth (Sevenna’s Knight) have performed well in Group 2s since.

Harbour Wind: last season's form beginning to stack up Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

Weaknesses: Harbour Wind has yet to race on ground officially faster than good and the stable form is questionable with just four winners from 52 runners in Ireland in nearly seven weeks since the start of July.

Odds: 10-1

Belloccio

Form: 1/6843-1

Strengths: Last seen winning the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, Belloccio represents last year’s winning trainer Willie Mullins. In the Copper Horse, run over the Ebor trip of 1m6f, he sat well off the pace before going three wide around the home turn and staying on strongly. Third-placed My Mate Mozzie filled the same position in the Galway Hurdle on his next start and the fourth, Alsakib, won a Group 3 at York next time. This proven stayer showed he handles good to firm ground at Royal Ascot, having also won on soft.

Belloccio winning the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot Credit: Patrick McCann

Weaknesses: Belloccio has to handle a 5lb rise to a mark of 105 after his Copper Horse victory and was ruled out of his Galway festival target as he was taking more time than expected to get over that run, which may raise some concern for punters.

Odds: 12-1

Fairbanks

Form: 612612

Strengths: After a solid run behind the St Leger-bound Align The Stars, Fairbanks is officially 2lb well in off a mark of 100. He successfully stepped up to 1m6f at Newmarket to justify favouritism two starts ago before going down by a neck to Align The Stars at Goodwood this month. Fairbanks is out of the US Grade 1-placed Fantasia, making him a half-brother to Group 3 winner Berlin Tango. On that basis, he could continue to progress.

Fairbanks: officially 2lb well in on a mark of 100Credit: John Grossick

Weaknesses: There’s no guarantee he'll get into the 22-runner field off his mark. He’s had four tough outings since early June, having started his season in April, and the sheer volume of races could catch up with him soon.

Odds: 12-1

Magical Zoe

Form: 513

Strengths: Magical Zoe had strong jumps form in the 2023-24 season, including fourth place behind last year’s Ebor winner Absurde in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Henry de Bromhead has campaigned her on the Flat since then and she won a 1m5f maiden at Down Royal before finishing third in a Fairyhouse Group 3 last time, doing well to navigate through traffic up the rail. With her lightly raced profile on the Flat, the six-year-old mare is unexposed in handicap company off a mark of 102.

Magical Zoe: classy hurdler has been switched to the Flat this seasonCredit: Patrick McCann

Weaknesses: Running in her first Flat handicap has both positives and negatives. While she's unexposed off 102, there’s no way to know if that handicap mark is lenient. Both horses who finished ahead of her at Fairyhouse, Grateful (first) and Dancing Tango (second), were beaten in the Lillie Langtry at Glorious Goodwood while the fifth, Scarlett O’Hara, was well beaten in a Listed race in France.

Odds: 12-1

Naqeeb

Form: 13-3602

Strengths: Naqeeb has the unenviable task of living up to his more successful half-brother Baaeed, and while he won’t achieve the same heights, he's certainly going the right way. The four-year-old by Nathaniel impressed twice last season, notably in a Class 2 1m6f handicap at Haydock off a rating of 100, but he failed to justify favouritism n the Noel Murless Stakes in October. Although he was disappointing that day, Middle Earth (first) won a Group 3 at the start of this season before running a big race behind Isle Of Jura in the Hardwicke Stakes. Furthermore, he beat Lmay by a length and three quarters while giving 5lbs away, though Belloccio beat the same horse by a smaller distance while giving 4lbs away in the Copper Horse Handicap. Naqeeb's last run at Newbury promised plenty, so he's in good form.

Naqeeb: Baaeed half-brother dropping back down to a mile and six furlongs

Weaknesses: He didn't seem to enjoy the big-field nature of the Copper Horse Handicap when 12th of 16, so he needs to put that behind him here. He also underperformed on his only start at York earlier this season, though that was in the Yorkshire Cup, so he can be excused for that.

Odds: 12-1

How about the rest?

Burdett Road, once ante-post favourite for this year’s Triumph Hurdle, would be a notable inclusion after his reappearance at Ascot in July. My Mate Mozzie kept on behind Belloccio at Royal Ascot and has been kept fit by Gavin Cromwell with a solid run in the Galway Hurdle. Relentless Voyager put in a career-best effort when second to Al Aasy at Goodwood earlier this month and is officially 1lb well-in while Night Sparkle chased home Trueshan at Sandown two starts ago.

Verdict

As with most years, the Ebor is a tricky and competitive affair. The nod goes to Magical Zoe, who performed better than the bare result suggests on her last start at Fairyhouse and has a lower mark than most of her market rivals.

Magical Zoe15:35 York

View Racecard

Jky: Tnr: Henry De Bromhead

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