Yorkshire Ebor
Your guide to the Yorkshire Ebor Festival | William Hill
Your Guide to the Yorkshire Ebor Festival
If you’ve found yourself wondering in the build-up to the Ebor Festival, ‘what is the Yorkshire Ebor?’ Then this is your essential and all you need to know guide about the Yorkshire Ebor Festival, including what the Ebor Festival actually is, the history behind the Ebor, previous winners, dress code and odds.
What is the York Ebor Festival?
The Ebor Festival is located at York Racecourse. It is a four-day flat race meeting held annually in August. It brings together the best of the best from around the world.
The Ebor Festival 2022 odds
One of the biggest races of the festival gets us under way on the Wednesday in the shape of the Juddmonte International. It looks to be one serious clash with the unbeaten and classy Baaeed putting his reputation on the line against the proven five-year-old Mishriff. In all likelihood Baaeed’s class should prevail and he is priced accordingly at 2/5.
There is no Ebor meeting without the Nunthorpe and this year’s renewal looks to be as good as any with Royal Acclaim looking to go four wins from four starts for James Tate at 13/8.
The Ebor handicap is the feature on the final day and with a cavalry of runners it’s no easy task finding the winner but that doesn’t take away from the sense of occasion. The current favourite is Earl of Tyrone at 8/1.
All odds for the 2022 Ebor Festival can be found here.
The Ebor Festival groups
The highest level is a Group 1 race; these are the highlight events on the racing calendar. Group 1 races are a test of class and all the horses run off level weights, but allowances are given for three-year-old horses against older horses and for fillies and mares against colts and geldings.
Group 2 and 3 races are still of high importance but are a step or two below the top tier in terms of quality. In these races the weights are calculated in a similar manner to Group 1 contests, but there is also the addition of penalties to make the races more competitive. Penalties, in the form of extra weight carried by the horse, are given to horses who have won at an equal or higher grade within a certain timeframe.
When are the 2022 Ebor Festival races?
Juddmonte International day
The best racehorse in the world will be on display in this Group One, enough said really.
| RACE TIME | RACE TITLE | RACE TYPE |
|---|---|---|
| 1:50pm | Symphony Group Stakes | Heritage Handicap |
| 2:25pm | Tattersalls Acomb Stakes | Group 3 |
| 3:00pm | Great Voltigeur Stakes | Group 2 |
| 3:35pm | Juddmonte International Stakes (British Champions Series Race) | Group 1 |
| 4:10pm | Stayers Handicap | Heritage Handicap |
| 4:45pm | Celebrate ITM’s 200th IRE Voucher Winner Stakes | Handicap |
| 5:20pm | Nursery Handicap | Handicap |
Ladies day
Ladies couldn’t be more apt for the day that has the Yorkshire Oaks and the finest fillies in the country running.
| RACE TIME | RACE TITLE | RACE TYPE |
|---|---|---|
| 1:50pm | Lowther Stakes | Group 2 |
| 2:25pm | Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes | Sales Race |
| 3:00pm | Clipper Logistics Stakes | Heritage Handicap |
| 3:35pm | Darley Yorkshire Oaks (British Champions Series Race) | Group 1 |
| 4:10pm | British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes | Listed |
| 4:40pm | OR8wellness ebfstallions Nursery Handicap | Nursery |
| 5:20pm | British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Stakes | Handicap |
Nunthorpe day
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it, one of the quickest races on the calendar goes today.
| RACE TIME | RACE TITLE | RACE TYPE |
|---|---|---|
| 1:50pm | Class 2 Handicap | Heritage Handicap |
| 2:25pm | Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup (British Champions Series Race) | Group 2 |
| 3:00pm | Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes | Group 2 |
| 3:35pm | Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (British Champion Series Race) | Group 1 |
| 4:10pm | Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies' Stakes | Handicap |
| 4:40pm | British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes | Handicap |
| 5:20pm | Mile Handicap | Handicap |
Ebor day
One of the worlds most valuable handicaps and the perfect way to round out the Ebor Festival.
| RACE TIME | RACE TITLE | RACE TYPE |
|---|---|---|
| 1:50pm | Symphony Group Strensall Stakes | Group 3 |
| 2:25pm | Melrose Stakes | Heritage Handicap |
| 3:00pm | City of York Stakes | Group 2 |
| 3:35pm | Ebor Handicap | Heritage Handicap |
| 4:10pm | Constantine Stakes | Heritage Handicap |
| 4:40pm | Julia Graves Roses Stakes | Listed |
| 5:15pm | Finale Stakes | Handicap |
History of the Ebor Festival
There is some uncertainty over when racing first arrived at the current site. The official stance of York Racecourse itself is that racing was first held on the Knavesmire when York’s race meeting was moved in 1730 from a previous site at Clifton Ings which was prone to flooding. The Knavesmire course, as the name suggests, was often very swampy, and in 1776, heavy rain meant that horses had to race for about 50 yards up to their knees in water.
Previous Winners
With such illustrious and infamous races throughout the week it’s no surprise to learn that the rollcall of winners at the York Ebor Festival features some of the biggest names in racing. The International has been won by none other than Sea The Stars and Frankel, the two most recognised stallions at stud. The Yorkshire Oaks has been claimed in the last three years by three horses that have all caught the nation’s eye and heart: Enable, Love and Snowfall. The Nunthorpe was won twice in consecutive years by Charlie Hills’ legendary sprinter Battaash, and finally the Ebor handicap was taken by Johnny Murtagh’s globetrotting Sonnyboyliston in knockout style last year.
What to wear At The Races?
If the spectacular racing on offer isn’t enough to get you excited, then the fashion almost certainly will. Dress codes will vary from different stands and enclosures, but the only formal dress code at York is in the County Stand with gentlemen required to wear a jacket, collared shirt and tie. However, many racegoers will like to dress up and enjoy the day at York in style regardless of enclosure.
