Ebor Handicap at York

Despite the various Group One races run this week, the Ebor Handicap, to be run today over 1 3/4 miles at 16.40 CET, is regarded as the top event of the York August meeting. Worth more than 140,000 GBP to the winner, it is the most valuable handicap in Europe and is always fiercely competitive. None of the 20 runners can be easily discarded, and the strong challenge from Ireland (5 runners) and France make it even more difficult. In view of ther vantastoc stablöe form, Sense of Purpose (Dermot EWeld/ Liam Roche) could be the bdest of the Irish, while Hammerfest (Jpohn Hammond/ Jim Crowley) has run some good races in top U.K. handovcaps and had clearly been prepared fpor this. So of course have most of the others, and we especially like the lightly-weighted Motivado (Sir Mark Prescott/ Luke Morris) and Qahriman (Luca Cumani/ Kieren Fallon). Favourites have a very poor record here, so punters should tread warily.

In terms of class, the best race at York is the Lonsdale, Cup, a Group Two race over 2 miles at 16.05. Plenmty of the usual suspects line up here, including saddlers Rock (John Oxx/ Niall McCullough), the Irish-ztrained winner of the Goodwood Cup last time, with 4 of these behind, and Godolphin´s back to form Cavalryman (Saeed bin Suroor/ Frankie Dettori), biut the one we like is ex-German Ibicenco (Cumani/ Fallon), now being prepared for a crack at the Melbourne Cup for his new owners.

On a typically overkill Saturday, there are also strong cards at Goodwood (including the Group Two Celebration Mile at 15.45), Newmarket, with a listed race, and in Ireland at the Curragh, as well as jumping from the pretty Lake District course at Cartmel.

York - betting forecast:
1. Race: Gordon Lord Byron - Eton Forever - Doncaster Rover
2. Race: Guarantee - Monshak - Future Security
3. Race: Saddler`S Rock - Cavalryman - Simenon
4. Race: Motivado - Camborne - Hammerfest
5. Race: Hoyam - Cosmic Chatter - Lucky Beggar
6. Race: Bonnie Lesley - Salutation - Medicoe
7. Race: Heeraat - Sir Maximilian - Lupin Pooter