Star names headline strong entries for 2026 York Ebor Festival

The countdown to the 2026 Sky Bet Ebor Festival is gathering pace after entries were revealed for the Group One races across all four days of York’s flagship meeting.

Leading the way is a high-class entry for the £1.5 million Juddmonte International on Wednesday, August 19, with defending champion Ombudsman among the 30 horses entered for the richest race ever staged at York.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained star arrives after back-to-back victories in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, while 2024 Juddmonte International runner-up Calandagan could return to the Knavesmire after another outstanding campaign. The multiple Group One winner, who defeated Ombudsman in last year’s Champion Stakes at Ascot, is also among the leading contenders.

French Derby winner Constitution River heads an exciting group of three-year-olds entered for the contest, alongside fellow Classic winners Benvenuto Cellini and Gstaad.

York Racecourse chief executive William Derby believes the race is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the Flat season.

“To have the defending champion is always good,” Derby said of Ombudsman’s intended return to the Knavesmire.

“Some organisations have him as currently the highest-rated horse in the world, so that is very exciting after what he did at Ascot.

“There are other amazing horses in there and it will be interesting to see if Constitution River heads our way after his intended run at Sandown, for the richest race we’ve ever staged.

“The possibility of Calandagan again, after he forced City Of Troy into breaking the track record in 2024, means the Juddmonte International is shaping up to be a cracker.”

Attention then turns to the £600,000 Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes, where American trainer Wesley Ward will hope to finally land the York sprint after entering Royal Ascot winner Bacio.

Ward has previously gone close in the race with Acapulco and Lady Aurelia, both of whom finished second, and Bacio could provide another major challenge.

Defending champion Asfoora is among 36 entries for the five-furlong Group One, while Japanese sprinter Satono Reve is also entered after finishing runner-up in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot for a second successive year.

Satono Reve also features among 47 entries for the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, which became a Group One race for the first time in 2025 and has quickly attracted another strong field.

Queen Anne Stakes winner Ten Bob Tony, Sussex Stakes hero Qirat and Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gstaad are all among the entries for the seven-furlong contest.

Derby believes the promotion to Group One status is already proving a success.

“Bacio is there for Wesley Ward, who came so close with Lady Aurelia,” he said.

“Asfoora is returning for her defence and Satono Reve is in both the Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe and Sky Bet City Of York after running an amazing race at Ascot, so I’m really excited about that. Ponntos is in there from the Czech Republic, Francis-Henri Graffard has some entries, too.

“We’ve had a bumper entry for the Sky Bet City Of York in just its second year [as a Group 1], so I’m really excited about that. It has quickly established itself in the minds of all connections. We had a great line-up last year, but it can only improve as people get used to it as a Group 1 option.

“You’ve got the Queen Anne winner in Ten Bob Tony, Qirat, who won the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion here on Saturday and won the Sussex last year, and an Irish Guineas winner in Gstaad, so it brings horses stepping up in trip or down and three-year-olds meeting older horses – it’s fascinating.

“It’s going to be World Pool this year on Saturday for the first time, also.”

The Yorkshire Oaks also promises another high-quality renewal, with Oaks winners Minnie Hauk and Thundering On both entered alongside Group One stars Diamond Necklace, Kalpana and Precise.

Minnie Hauk will bid to become the first dual winner of the race since Enable, while last year’s runner-up Estrange could return to York after her recent Group One victory in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

“Given Estrange is trained by David O’Meara in Malton, it would be great to see her have another go at the Yorkshire Oaks,” Derby said.

“She was second to Minnie Hauk last year and we showed her win the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland on the big screen on Saturday, which went down very well. She won on quickish ground on Saturday, she’s such a beautiful filly, we’d love to see her go one better.

“It’s like the first day of December almost for us with all the storylines coming together.”