Who Are the Favourites for 2021 Ebor Handicap?
Ilaraab is a four-year-old with lively prospects, with William Haggas’ horse having slammed his opponents on numerous occasions last year, with the runner sealing the deal at Thirsk and then scoring an all-weather victory at Wolverhampton before kicking on to greater things.
There was a September 2020 win when landing the spoils in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap at Newbury, with the horse continuing to be progressive when winning a handicap race in October and there was a 2021 victory in the Race to the Ebor Handicap where jockey Tom Marquand rode the horse to a win at betting odds of 7/2.
Who Are the Other Ebor Handicap Contenders?
The betting market is set to be wide open for the 2021 Ebor Handicap, with Opera Gift another horse who could have the right credentials on the York Racecourse, with the Andrew Balding-trained runner having recorded a victory at Salisbury Racecourse in early May and looks set to produce more quality.
Haggas also has another interesting runner in the form of Hamish who is a talented five-year-old who ran in the Hardwicke Stakes at the 2020 Royal Ascot meeting and there was plenty to like about a fourth-placed finish in that race which saw him finish ahead of Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.
Jockey James Doyle also rode Hamish to victory at York Racecourse last year when winning the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap, with another handicap win scored at the Knavesmire in the following race at the Ebor racecourse.
Some punters might think that the 10/1 about King’s Advice winning the Ebor Handicap is the bet of the meeting at the Knavesmire, with the Mark Johnston-trained charge looking like a fine contender after a string of wins throughout 2019.
Ever since March on the all-weather surface, the five-year-old has been hard to beat and it was only one race out of nine in 2019 where King’s Advice fluffed his lines.
The most recent victory came on Saturday 3 August, with the 7/2 favourite winning the Qatar Summer Handicap, with King’s Advice showing battling qualities to come out on top.
That was a victory over one mile and six furlongs, with the Ebor Handicap being run over the same distance and trainer Johnston is hopeful that we’ll see another big performance at York racecourse.
Previously to the win at Glorious Goodwood, there was also a success at the Newmarket July meeting, with King’s Advice obliging in the bet365 Trophy at odds of 10/1.
As with several other prominent Flat horses this year, the horse is a son of Frankel and is likely to be ridden by jockey Joe Fanning for the £1 million race, with the five-year-old now boasting the most victories out of any British-trained horse during 2019.
Johnston said after his latest win: "It's quite incredible. I never really believe that horses know whether they are winning or have their head in front, but if ever there was a horse who wants to put his head back in front, it's him.
"I thought he was beaten so many times today, even inside the final furlong it looked like the second horse was going to get the better of him, and perhaps did even get its head to the front, but he just comes back again.
"Just absolutely incredible. He's gone from a rating of 71 to winning off 108 today, and he's only lost one race for us. That was the Northumberland Plate and he was unlucky there - and he didn't have Joe Fanning. Joe Fanning is unbeaten on him.
"It's got to be the Ebor meeting next. That's going to be very, very difficult because they'll be queuing up for a go at him, but we've got to go there, and the owner has been suggesting a step into Pattern company for several runs now, and we've talked him out of it, but he'll get his shot quite soon. Possibly the Irish St Leger."
Indeed, the rate of improvement has been unusually rapid for this horse and jockey Fanning believes that he will only continue to improve.
Winning jockey Fanning said: "I think he is getting better. I thought Andrea (Atzeni, on Outbox) had me beat when he came to me - it felt like he got a neck up and then this lad just battled back.
"He is very tough. Andrea came by me quite comfortably and he just knuckled down. He is not the biggest of horses either, so to carry that weight and do it like that.
"For one of Mark's, he is a small horse and he has lumped top-weight around. I think his last two races have been his best. It's unreal how he keeps finding this bit of improvement. He's tough, he's game and he is very good."
BET ONLY FOR FUN
