Juddmonte International: Key players, trends, verdict and a 28/1 outsider

York’s Ebor Festival kicks off on Wednesday and it starts with a bang. The feature race of the day is the prestigious Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes. A field of 12 has been declared for the £1,250,000 event and we’ve outlined the chances of the main contenders. We’ve also provided a verdict for the big race and a 28/1 outsider to follow. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.

Key players

12. City Of Troy

Aidan O’Brien’s superstar has only tasted defeat once and he got the better of subsequent Group 1 scorer Al Riffa in the Eclipse when last seen. The signs suggest he should prove hard to beat.

11. Calandagan

This French raider bolted up in the Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and is a big player on that form. There’s a chance he could need the run on his first start for two months.

10. Ambiente Friendly

Second to City Of Troy in the Derby at Epsom, he was a little disappointing in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh. The drop back in trip needs to facilitate some improvement.

9. Bluestocking

Ralph Beckett’s filly has taken her form to a new level this year and the return to an extended 1m2f may well be in her favour. She was an impressive course and distance winner in May.

1. Alflaila

Owen Burrows’ five-year-old has won twice over course and distance this year and his fourth in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot suggests he’s not a million miles away.

8. Zarakem

Another French raider, Jerome Reynier’s runner chased home Auguste Rodin when last seen and a repeat of that effort would put him bang in the mix.

Trends

Older horses have dominated in the last four years but we have had three three-year-old winners in the last 10 renewals.

The last Derby winner to come out on top in this was the Aidan O’Brien-trained Australia in 2014. City Of Troy bids to do so here but he’s just the second horse to try since 2015, so don’t let that put you off!

John Gosden has won three of the last six renewals and his sole representative is 33/1 shot Israr.

Outsider to watch

Israr was an impressive winner of a Listed race at Royal Ascot when last seen and this is his first attempt at Group 1 level. Improvement is clearly needed but John & Thady Gosden have won three of the last six renewals between them and that suggests he’s not here for a day out.

Verdict

City Of Troy was a runaway winner of the Derby and he showed a good attitude to come out on top in the Eclipse. He looks like the best horse in the race and is well set to prove it here.

If you back any of our selections you can watch them live on the free Racing Post app or racingpost.com. Simply log in to one of your bookmaker accounts and click ‘Watch live’ on the racecards.