Ebor Handicap – Racing Tips’ 1-2-3

Sky Bet Ebor Handicap – Saturday 20th August

The feature race on the final day of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival is the Ebor Handicap and here at Racing Tips, we have provided our 1-2-3 for the valuable staying contest which you can check out below, alongside an exclusive offer from Sky Bet: Place Any Bet, Get £30 In Free Bets 

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1. Okita Soushi 8/1

This has seemingly been the plan for some time for the lightly-raced OKITA SOUSHI, who bids to provide Joseph O’Brien with his first victory in the valuable staying Handicap. 

An impressive winner on his debut at Fairyhouse last July, Joseph O’Brien’s colt returned for his 4yo campaign in May with a taking effort at the Curragh, finishing runner-up behind stablemate and subsequent Group 3 winner Raise You in a Listed contest over twelve furlongs. Well supported on his handicap debut in the Copper Horse Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, Okita Soushi went down as one of the biggest eye-catchers of the entire meeting in defeat, hitting the line strongly on his first start over 1m6f to finish third behind Chester Cup winner Cleveland and David O’Meara’s progressive handicapper Get Shirty. Beaten two lengths, he ultimately failed to reel in stablemate Shoshone Warrior on his following start in a conditions event at Leopardstown last month when trying to concede a stone to that rival over 1m7f. 

By Galileo out of a Grade 1 winner in Australia, he is bred to be a Pattern horse in time and it’s no surprise that connections have already given him preliminary entries in the Group 1 Irish St Leger and Group 2 Long Distance Cup at Ascot towards the end of the season and he ought to be going close in Saturday’s feature handicap from a mark of 106. 

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2. Ever Present 11/1

Irish-trained runners could be set to dominate in this season’s renewal and a bold bid from Jessica Harrington’s EVER PRESENT looks firmly assured on Saturday afternoon.   

A former bumper winner, the six-year-old has taken his form to new heights since switching his attention to the Flat. A three-time winner last season, Ever Present rounded off his campaign with a career-best performance when landing a valuable staying handicap at Leopardstown off a mark of 100. A half-length winner at the line, he finished ahead of subsequent Listed, Group 3 and Group 2 winner Lafayette. 

Absent for 314 days, Ever Present shaped with promise on his seasonal comeback in Listed company behind Aidan O’Brien’s highly-touted filly Perotan at Down Royal last month. Beaten just over four lengths, he was far from disgraced in defeat and was having to concede sixteen pounds to that eventual winner. Based on how he has been campaigned by connections, Saturday’s contest appears to have been the plan for quite some time for Ever Present and with his encouraging return at Down Royal blowing away any cobwebs, the six-year-old should be spot on for this weekend’s assignment and it would be no surprise to see him go well at double-figure odds. 

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3. Candleford 12/1

CANDLEFORD progressed well during his 4yo campaign last season and took another sizeable step forward on his seasonal reappearance in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June. Returning from a 219-day break, Candleford produced one of the performances of the entire meeting, thundering home down the middle of the track under Tom Marquand to beat subsequent winner Ajero by six lengths off a mark of 91. 

Raised thirteen pounds as a result, William Haggas’ charge was unable to follow up that explosive performance at Newmarket’s July meeting last time out. Crossing the line in eighth, he perhaps found the run coming too soon when failing to justify favouritism in the bet365 Trophy over 1m6f. 

With his Ascot performance still very much fresh in mind, Candleford is difficult to rule out as he returns to the track following a short break. Rated 104, there is every chance that the four-year-old remains well handicapped and he could bounce back to form on the Knavesmire this weekend.