Juddmonte International Trends 2018

With just over £567,000 on offer to the winner of the Juddmonte International Stakes, this Group One is one of the feature contests of the four-day York Ebor Festival in August.

The one and a quarter mile contest is staged on the opening day of the meeting (Wednesday 22^nd August 2018) and often brings together top milers, that are trying their luck up in trip, and the seasoned middle-distance performers – a recipe that always provides many conundrums for punters to solve.

In the build-up to the contest there are also many Juddmonte Stakes tips and trends to take into account. For example, fourteen of the last sixteen winners were already proven Group One winners, while eleven of the last sixteen successful horses were aged 4 or 5 years-old.

Our Juddmonte International Stakes Tips can help you find the winner of the race.

To help pin-point the winner of the 2018 Juddmonte International Stakes we are on-hand with some useful key trends and statistics – use these to find the best profiles of past winners.

• 14 of the last 16 winners had already won at Group One level
• 14 of the last 16 winners had raced at least three times that season
• 13 of the last 16 winners had won over at least 1m2f or further before
• 12 of the last 16 winners finished first of second last time out
• 12 of the last 16 winners were aged 4 or older
• 13 of the last 16 winners have NOT run at York before

Trends – Key Runners

Poet’s Word ✅✅✅✅✅✅

Roaring Lion ✅✅✅✅❌❌

Saxon Warrior ✅✅❌✅❌✅

Cracksman  ✅✅✅✅✅❌

Benbatl ✅❌✅✅✅❌

Trends Analysis:

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Poet’s Word is the only one of the main players that gets a clean sweep with the six main trends. This high-class five year-old has improved with age and this season and took another big step forward by winning the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. He’s a versatile horse that seems to be just as good over this one and quarter mile trip as he is over a mile and a half. The Sir Michael Stoute yard also won this prize twelve months ago and been successful seven times in total. Those looking for something to take him on with might cling to the fact he looked to have a very tough race last time out in the King George. He had an almighty tussle with the runner-up – Crystal Ocean – that day so it remains to be seen if that effort has left its mark. However, with the key trends in mind, it’s still hard to ignore his solid credentials here and on what we’ve seen this season is certainly the one to beat.

Roaring Lion will be popular too. This John Gosden-trained three year-old was a gutsy winner of the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown last month and so far is two-from-two over this mile and a quarter trip. He was also a fine third in the Epsom Derby this season and was a very impressive winner (four and a half lengths) of the Dante Stakes over this course and distance back in May. However, with twelve of the last sixteen winners aged four or older he’ll have this age trend against him, while it’s also slightly surprising his powerful trainer – John Gosden – is yet to record a single win in this race.

This season’s 2,000 Guineas winner – Saxon Warrior – is another leading player, but since landing the first Classic of the season in May he’s yet to win a race. Having said that, he’s still put in some solid efforts to be fourth in the Epsom Derby, third in the Irish Derby and a close second in the Coral-Eclipse. He’ll be looking to become the first horse since Sea The Stars to land the 2,000 Guineas and Juddmonte International Stakes in the same season, while he’ll be trying to provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with his sixth success in this race. The trends against him are his age (three years-old), while the fact remains he’s yet to win a race beyond a mile – something thirteen of the last sixteen winners had managed.

Trainer John Gosden, who don’t forget is still to win this race, has another leading contender in Cracksman. This four year-old ticks five of our six main trends and this season his only blot came when being beaten into second by Poet’s Word in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. There were just over two lengths between the two that day but after getting a bit stirred-up before the race actually did well to finish as close as he did. He’s a horse that is best on a softer surface and dotted-up at this meeting twelve months ago when winning the Great Voltiguer Stakes by six lengths. If the rain comes then he’s certainly one to have on your radar.

The ‘boys in blue’ of Godolphin last won this race in 2004 and have recorded four victories in total, but they could easily improve on those stats with their recent German Group One winner – Benbatl. This four year-old has cracking form figures over this trip too 2-1-1 and was runner-up over this course and distance in the 2017 Dante Stakes. His only below-par run this year was when tenth in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, but that came over a mile and he’s clearly a better horse over a bit further. He also ticks four of our six main trends, while even though he’s only raced twice this season he did have four outings in Dubai between January and March – therefore, the ‘having raced at least three times this season’ stat could easily be taken with a pinch of salt, meaning he’d actually have five of the six trends on his side.

Every race covered live on ITV can be found on our ITV York Racing Tips, with runner by runner previews for each contest.