It would be unfair to say that the Ebor was a bloodbath for the punters but many of the biggest races were certainly favourable for the bookies, with several big favourites getting beaten over the four days of York’s Ebor Festival. Our Monday news round-up focusses on those results from York with the odd little extra too.
Golden Horn Beaten
Perhaps the biggest upset of the Festival came in the Juddmonte International Stakes when huge odds-on favourite Golden Horn was beaten by a neck by 50/1 shot Arabian Queen. Wonder horse in the making Golden Horn had already won the Dante, Derby and Eclipse and was unbeaten and looked a sure thing after key rival Gleneagles withdrew due to the softer-than desired going. That made Golden Horn, ridden by Frankie Dettori, the 4/9 clear favourite but Arabian Queen, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, edged the much fancied horse.
Ultimately the ground was probably a little sticky for Golden Horn too but even so, few expected him to be beaten once 2000 Guineas champion Gleneagles was ruled out. The Grey Gatsby was third.
Covert Love Beaten
You might notice a theme to our headings this Monday! Covert Love was many people’s NAP on Ladies Day, the favourite having looked hugely impressive previously and fancied to have more to come. However, despite leading for most of the race the 15/8 favourite was caught in the final 150 yards by Pleascach, the winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas, who took this one by a neck. French horse Sea Calisi was third in an exciting race.
Acapulco and Clondaw Warrior … Beaten!
The favourites were beaten like eggs at York and we can add another two to that list, with much fancied Acapulco being beaten to the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes by Mecca’s Angel. The filly, the first to win this one in 11 years, was trailing by a good way into the final furlong but stormed on for her first Group success by two lengths. Mattmu was third.
There was yet more upset in the Ebor Handicap as Litigant, a 33/1 no-hoper, took home the richest flat handicap in Europe. The seven-year-old hadn’t raced for almost 500 days but saw off Willie Mullins’ Wicklow Brave, who had been priced at odds of 9/1, Suegioo (a 40/1 shot) and Toe The Line (25/1). Joint favourites Clondaw Warrior and Quick Jack were well back in 12th and 13th in Saturday’s feature race at the Ebor.
American Pharoah Entered for Travers Stakes
From beaten greats to a great putting his record on the line. Triple Crown legend American Pharoah, who has also won the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational this year, has been entered into the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday. Saratoga is something of a York of the US, known as a ‘graveyard of champions’ due to defeats there for Secretariat and Man ‘o War among others.
