The 178-year-old York Ebor Festival gets underway in August and promises an exhilarating four days of top-class horse racing. The event may not be as famous as Royal Ascot, the Epsom Derby or Glorious Goodwood but it is a favourite amongst racegoers, attracting up to over 300,000 visitors each year.
York’s Richest Race
One of the key events at the festival is the Juddmonte International Stakes which is York racecourse’s richest race. Weeks before the action begins, all eyes turn to the York races odds to see who the leading contenders for the big race are. This year, Aidan O’Brien’s St Marks Basilica heads the field at 4/5 ahead of 3/1 shot Mishriff and the highly-rated pair of Love (8/1) and Palace Pier (10/1). The latter arrives in good form after winning the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot under Frankie Dettori. O’Brien is aiming to become the first trainer to win the race six times, adding extra spice to this year’s race.
Frankel Steps Up
The race has been the scene of many historic victories, none more so than Frankel’s 2012 triumph which stunned the racing world. Having conquered everyone over a mile, this was his first big step up in distance with an additional two and a half furlongs to cover. Just three weeks before, he had beaten top-class challenger Farhh by six lengths in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and was up against the same rival again along with three-time Coronation Cup winner St Nicholas Abbey. Despite the stiff opposition, he was odds-on favourite and started at a price of 1/10.
Horse and Jockey in Harmony
Jockey Tom Queally displayed his almost telepathic understanding with the horse by holding him up early on before taking the lead two furlongs out and then accelerating clear of the field to win by an incredible seven lengths. It was Frankel’s eighth consecutive Group 1 victory, putting him clear of previous record-holder Rock of Gibraltar.
Next up in the Series we head to @yorkracecourse for the @Welcome2Yorks Ebor Festival 🙌
Who can forget FRANKEL’s 🐐 demolition of a quality Group 1 field in the 2012 Juddmonte International?
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) August 5, 2021
For many racing fans, Frankel’s performance at York eclipsed his achievement at Newmarket 16 months earlier when he blitzed the field in the 2000 Guineas with the biggest winning margin since 1947. The victory also topped previous Juddmonte International highlights including Dahlia’s back-to-back wins in 1974 and 1975, and Sea the Stars’ stunning victory in 2009.
The Highest Ranked of All-time
Frankel only ran one more race after the 2012 Juddmonte International Stakes, storming to victory in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October of the same year on difficult ground. That win topped off an incredible career in which he remained unbeaten in 14 starts and claimed 10 Group 1 wins. He started every race he entered as favourite and earned £2,998,302 in prize money. He also achieved the highest rating of any horse since ranking began in 1977.
Another golden memory from a glorious decade at Ascot 🏇
The incomparable Frankel ends his career unbeaten with victory in the QIPCO Champion Stakes in October 2012 👀 pic.twitter.com/Hm6LPezAA8
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) December 28, 2019
Frankel’s achievements may never be matched but the Juddmonte International Stakes will always have a special place in the hearts of racing fans. The race has delivered many special moments over the years and the 2021 edition promises to be an epic showdown as Eclipse winner St Marks Basilica aims to make history for Aidan O’Brien.