The eyes of the racing world turned to York last week, as the “Ascot of the North” held its signature four-day Ebor Festival. With a quartet of Group 1s and Europe’s most valuable handicap up for grabs, the leading lights from both sides of the Irish Sea descended upon the Knavesmire. Aidan O’Brien, Charlie Appleby, and William Haggas were all among the winners, but Kingsclere handler Andrew Balding stole the show with a six-race haul.
The pick of the action in Ireland saw the current 2026 Epsom Derby favourite take his next step towards potential Classic glory at the Curragh. Elsewhere, sad news broke from the yard of Willie Mullins with the announcement that six-time Grade 1 winner Sharjah had passed away.
Item the International Star of Balding’s Half Dozen
Day 1 of the York Ebor Festival began with the most prestigious of the meeting’s four Group 1 contests. Regularly ranked among the classiest races of the season, the 2026 Juddmonte International attracted the world’s joint-highest-rated horse. Much too good for the field in 2025, the John & Thady Gosden-trained Ombudsman started as the odds-on favourite to defend his crown. Aidan O’Brien’s Constitution River was expected to pose the biggest threat to the favourite following a smooth success in the Coral-Eclipse, which extended his winning sequence to five.
Despite what the market suggested, neither Ombudsman nor Constitution River were involved in a tight finish to a thrilling renewal. Following a troubled passage, Ombudsman failed to find his trademark turn of foot, while Constitution River faded close home to finish third. For 99 of the final 100 yards, Ed Walker’s Almaqam looked set to claim the biggest win of his career. However, the Andrew Balding-trained Item had other ideas, charging home to get up in the final strides to score by a head. This victory added to Item’s perfect season at York following wins in the Dante Stakes and Sky Bet York Stakes.
Having started with a bang, Balding kept the good times rolling with a spectacular 1,831/1 four-timer on Day 2. The Lost King and Machadadorp struck in handicap company, Prizeland claimed the Listed Galtres Stakes, and King George heroine Kalpana took top billing when hanging on grimly in the Yorkshire Oaks. Adding a sixth win with Plage De Havre on Day 3, Balding topped the trainer’s table at this year’s Ebor Festival.
Balding’s hot streak ran out of steam on Saturday though. The Ebor Handicap went to Alan King’s Copper Horse Stakes winner, Daiquiri Bay.
Mullins Star Passes Away at 13
In a sizzling week of flat action, the sport said goodbye to a National Hunt star who graced the biggest stages during a 10-year career. Retired following the last of 26 Grade 1 outings in the 2024 Punchestown Champion Novice Chase, the ex-Willie Mullins-trained Sharjah passed away due to colic at the age of 13.
Locking horns with the likes of Faugheen, Honeysuckle, State Man, and Constitution Hill during his long and successful career, Sharjah struck six times at the top level, including a record-equalling four wins in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown. A veteran of six Cheltenham Festivals, his best results at Prestbury Park were second-place finishes in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Champion Hurdle.
Also counting two wins at the Galway Festival, including the Galway Hurdle, on his CV, his final success in 2024 proved pivotal in helping Mullins to his first British Trainers’ Championship. Amassing over €1 million in prize money for connections, he was remembered fondly by regular partner Patrick Mullins, who stated:
“He’s given me some of the best days of my career, and I doubt that I will ever have an association with a horse as good as him again.”
Giant Reaches Group 2 Heights in Futurity Stakes
The final Classic of 2026 is yet to be run, but thoughts are already turning towards the potential stars of 2027. The latest pointers arrived at the Curragh on Saturday afternoon, with the 2026 renewals of the Debutante Stakes and Futurity Stakes. Unsurprisingly, Aidan O’Brien saddled the market leader in both events.
The hat-trick-seeking Alpha was first up in the fillies’ event. Sent off as the 4/6 favourite, the daughter of Sea The Stars was expected to take all the beating in a race officially titled the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes in honour of her dam. Having made most of the running, Alpha looked set to reward favourite backers, only to fade inside the final furlong to finish third behind the Joseph O’Brien duo of Green Empress and Dancing Destiny. As short as 7/1 for the 2027 Oaks before this race, Alpha drifted to a best price of 25/1 following this defeat. Green Empress now tops a wide-open Oaks market at a general 16/1.
Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes 2026 Result
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Green Empress | 11/4 | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| 2nd | Dancing Destiny | 12/1 | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Declan McDonogh |
| 3rd | Alpha | 4/6 | A P O’Brien | Wayne Lordan |
Sent off as the 2/1 market leader, Giant Sequioa wasn’t as strongly fancied as Alpha as he took his place in the Futurity Stakes line-up. His Tyros Stakes-winning stablemate Florida Bay sat just behind him at 9/4, with the unbeaten Tommy Stack runner Nola Soul available at 7/2.
Unlike his stablemate 30 minutes earlier, Giant Sequoia rewarded favourite backers. This wasn’t a flashy performance, but the mount of Wayne Lordan knuckled down well to pick up long-time leader Florida Bay and score by half a length. By Frankel and out of the 2019 Epsom Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood, the regally bred Giant Sequoia heads the 2027 Derby market. Available to back at 25/1 before the race, he is now as short as 12/1 for the Epsom Classic.
Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes 2026 Result
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Giant Sequoia | 2/1 | A P O’Brien | Wayne Lordan |
| 2nd | Florida Bay | 9/4 | A P O’Brien | Ronan Whelan |
| 3rd | Green Dreamer | 25/1 | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Declan McDonogh |
