Knavesmire Knockouts! 4 Horses To Take Away From The Ebor Festival

The Ebor Festival served up some incredible racing, with some runaway winners and fond farewells, as we likely saw Enable for the final time on British shores. With the flat season now reaching it’s final few months, we look back on the Ebor Festival, and four horses who should be winning some big prizes as the campaign winds down! For all our horse racing tips, make sure to browse the website now!

Mums Tipple (Richard Hannon)

The most visually impressive victory of the entire Ebor Festival, Mums Tipple produced a scintillating performance to win the Premier Yearling Sales Race by a huge eleven lengths. Winning his maiden at Ascot, the second, fourth and fifth have all come out and won races of their own since. With that evidence in mind, it’s no real surprise that he took the contest.

What was a surprise, however, was how impressively he drew away in the closing stages. It’s very easy to question the form of that sales contest, but he couldn’t have done things any more impressively, as an RPR of 119 proves. Can he match up with Pinatubo? Only time will tell, but all the signs point towards Richard Hannon have a potential monster on his hands.

Potential Target: Middle Park (Newmarket, 6f)

Battaash (Charlie Hills)

Yes, I know, it’s not original, but Battaash was simply outstanding on Friday and couldn’t be omitted from this list, no matter how obvious it is. Charlie Hills’ speed machine has looked a much more relaxed and tractable horse this year, with his real problem in prior years being his quirky tendencies. He’d previously thrown away the Nunthorpe thanks to pre-race antics, but the new Battaash put the record straight this year in no uncertain terms.

Getting a tow into the contest, he settled well in second before striking the front two furlongs out, where he powered clear to land a very cosy success at the expense of some smart rivals. An RPR of 129 shows just how frightening that performance was, and he’s likely to prove unbeatable in five-furlong events later in the season if turning up in the same mood.

Forest Of Dean (John Gosden)

Costing 450,000gns as a yearling, Forest Of Dean has certainly been a slow burner, but he’s really come of age in recent starts and looked a horse to follow when easily scoring at Goodwood at the Glorious Festival. Raised seven pounds for that, he proved that he was a horse to watch when slamming his rivals in a Class 2 Handicap on Saturday.

He looked a class apart and although the handicapper is unlikely to miss him once again, he looks a classic John Gosden improver and further progress is likely just around the corner. Holding an entry into the Cambridgeshire next month, don’t be surprised if this three-year-old takes the step into pattern class in the not too distant future.

Potential Targets: Cambridgeshire Handicap (Newmarket, 1m 1f)

Japan (Aidan O’Brien)

Again, it’s hardly a surprising pick, but Japan has started to look like a superstar in recent starts. Beaten just half a length in the Derby despite having a lot to do and the rider dropping his whip, he’s won all three of his starts since, latterly in the Juddmonte International on Wednesday. Gaining a second Group 1 success, he was tenacious in hunting down Crystal Ocean, outbattling him towards the line.

That form looks very strong and given that he’s only a three-year-old, and trained by a master, the best is surely yet to come. Holding a plethora of Group 1 entries, including the St Leger and the Arc, he’s a top-class horse firmly on the upgrade.

Potential Targets: St Leger (Doncaster, 1m 6f), Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Longchamp, 1m 4f)