King's Advice Ebor

Tuesday, 20 August 2019: Leading ante-post fancies King's Advice and Withhold are among 56 five-day acceptors for the first £1-million Sky Bet Ebor at York this Saturday, August 24.

King's Advice winning the bet365 Trophy (Heritage Handicap)
King's Advice winning the bet365 Trophy (Heritage Handicap)


The historic handicap takes place over a mile and six furlongs on day four of Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival and, thanks to a 100 per cent prize money increase in 2019, is now the richest Flat handicap run in Europe.

Sky Bet's 6/1 favourite King's Advice (9st 7lb including 4lb penalty) has proved a revelation since joining trainer Mark Johnston, winning eight of his nine starts in 2019 including valuable handicaps at Newmarket's July Festival and Glorious Goodwood.

Johnston is likely to have a strong hand as he bids for his second Sky Bet Ebor victory, following Quick Ransom in 1992. The Middleham handler's remaining entries also include Baghdad (9st 4lb, 12/1), successful in the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot, and Chester Cup victor Making Miracles (9st 1lb, 33/1).

Withhold (Roger Charlton, 9st 8lb) is a 7/1 chance with Sky Bet after a dominant front-running victory under top-weight in the Marsh Cup Handicap at Newbury on July 20. The six-year-old has the chance to complete a rare treble in staying heritage handicaps, having already landed the 2017 Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket and the 2018 Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.

Several horses who ran well in the 2018 Sky Bet Ebor are among the acceptors, including runner-up Weekender (John Gosden, 9st 6lb, 16/1) and the fourth Mustajeer (Ger Lyons IRE, 9st 3lb, 14/1). 

Irish challenger Mustajeerhas been in excellent form this year, with the pick of his four efforts coming when beaten a neck by Master Of Reality in the G3 Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April. On his latest appearance, the six-year-old was a staying-on fifth in the G2 Curragh Cup on June 28.

Ger Lyons said: "Mustajeer is in good form and we have been happy with his preparation.

"He ran very well last year to finish fourth. We rode him to get the trip that day, and we were delighted with his effort and how he saw out the distance.

"We have been really pleased with him so far this season and he ran well to finish fifth last time out, which was a nice stepping stone. 

"This year's renewal has plenty of quality and these staying handicaps are turning into very competitive Group races in terms of the talent on show. We can ride Mustajeer a bit more prominently this year and are hopeful of a good effort.

"The Sky Bet Ebor has been the target this year and it would be a great prize to win. York is a very fair track and there should be no hard-luck stories."

Four of the last 10 renewals of the Sky Bet Ebor have been won by Irish-trained horses. Willie Mullins, who took the spoils in 2009 with Sesenta, is likely to be double-handed with the Susannah Ricci-owned Max Dynamite (9st 5lb, 25/1) and talented mare True Self (9st 5lb, 14/1).

Muntahaa led home a one-two for John Gosden in 2018 and Britain's champion Flat trainer has another strong hand, with Weekender joined by impressive November Handicap victor Royal Line (9st 6lb, 10/1) and Royal Ascot second Ben Vrackie (9st 3lb, 12/1).

G1 runner-up Red Verdon (Ed Dunlop, 9st 7lb, 16/1) returned to form in the G3 John Smith's Silver Cup, run over the course and distance on July 13. Red Verdon defeated Gold Mount and leading Sky Bet Ebor fancy Raheen House (William Haggas, 9st 6lb, 8/1) in a three-way finish, with Weekender and Kelly's Dino (Karl Burke, 9st 4lb including 4lb penalty, 20/1) in fourth and fifth.

Kelly's Dino had won the Old Newton Cup at Haydock Park prior to his run in the John Smith's Silver Cup and has since landed a 12-furlong handicap in tenacious fashion at Newmarket on August 9.

Karl Burke reported: "We have been very happy with Kelly's Dino ahead of the Sky Bet Ebor. 

"He had a wind op at the end of last year and it has really helped. We just felt he was not finishing off his races well enough and the wind op has worked out brilliantly.

"He has already enjoyed a great season, having won the Old Newton Cup, and he ran really well at York in July before winning at Newmarket. 

"He has always shown a good attitude, but when he hits the front he doesn't always do a lot. He is a horse that travels really well, but he doesn't want to hit the front too soon.

"He will improve again from Newmarket in terms of fitness. He is going to be racing off a career-high mark and whilst he has never won over the trip, we feel he does get it.

"If Kelly's Dino could finish in the top four, then we would be delighted. There is fantastic prize money on offer and it is great to have one in the race."

Other notable contenders include top-weight Salouen (Sylvester Kirk, 9st 10lb, 14/1), who has been mixing it with the best in G1 company over a mile and a half, Newmarket Listed scorer Wells Farhh Go (Tim Easterby, 9st 7lb, 14/1) and G1 Melbourne Cup third Prince of Arran (Charlie Fellowes, 9st 5lb, 20/1).

A maximum of 22 horses can line up in the Sky Bet Ebor. Final declarations are made at 10am on Thursday, August 22. 

Michael Shinners, Racing PR Manager at Sky Bet, commented today: "The first £1-million Sky Bet Ebor is shaping up to be the most competitive handicap of the season following today's five-day confirmation stage. 

"King's Advice   is the 6/1 market leader with Sky Bet after defying the handicapper yet again when winning at Glorious Goodwood. 

"Sky Bet is delighted to sponsor six of the seven races on the final day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival and we look forward to another thrilling week on the Knavesmire."

Sky Bet Ebor - Sky Bet odds (NRNB): 6/1 King's Advice; 7/1 Withhold; 8/1 Raheen House; 10/1 Royal Line; 12/1 Baghdad, Ben Vrackie; 14/1 Buildmeupbuttercup, Exchange Rate, Mustajeer, Outbox, Salouen, True Self, Wells Farhh Go; 16/1 Cypress Creek, Dubawi Fifty, Red Verdon, Weekender; 20/1 Carlo Biraghi, Corgi, Kelly's Dino, Mekong, Prince Of Arran, Raymond Tusk, Stratum, Uradel; 25/1 Al Muffrih, Barsanti, Cleonte, Desert Skyline, Desert Wind, Dramatic Queen, Lethal Steps, Max Dynamite, Proschema, Red Galileo, Saroog, Soto Sizzler, The Grand Visir; 33/1 bar

Each way terms: 1/5 for first 5 places