There may be only five runners entered up for the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes, but you can only rule out one of the five runners coming in here.
Willie Mullins is bringing over the talented Absurde, a horse with a proven track record of success over jumps and on the flat. But with the top three runners closely matched on form, will this simply be another triumphant UK raid for the Irish and UK champion jumps trainer, or will the UK runners get one over on the mater of Closutton?
Get the best Listed Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes odds from the best online horse racing bookmakers here.
Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes runner by runner betting guide
2 ABSURDE (1)
Age: 7 Weight: 9st 2lb Form: /415-3 Rating: 109 Jockey: Daniel Tudhope Trainer: Willie Mullins Odds: 6/4Absurde comes in here on the back of a third-place finish in the Group 3 Ormonde Stakes, finding Al Qareem and the Ascot Gold Cup favourite Illinois too strong for him in the finish. He has half a length to find with Al Qareem on that running, and there is no doubt that he can produce what is required to get the better of him here on better terms.
But even so, he will need to be on top of his game if he is to secure back-to-back wins at York. It is always difficult to oppose any Willie Mullins runners, but at the prices, he looks short enough, given that there is not much between the top three.
Star rating:
Bet on Absurde with Betfred
3 ALSAKIB (4)
Age: 5 Weight: 9st 2lb Form: 4178-4 Rating: 110 Jockey: James Doyle Trainer: Andrew Balding Odds: 7/2Alsakib has a Group 3 course and distance win to his name, in which he got the better of Al Qareem. He had his first run of the season over course and distance in Group 2, where he finished fifth of the six runners, but he was only beaten just over one length in the end. That was his first run after being gelded, and the race wasn’t run to suit.
A strong pace here will suit him, so with Al Qareem and El Cordobes looking as if they will take them along, he should get a pace to run down. Now with his comeback run behind him, and the promise of more improvement to come on the back of being gelded, this son of Kingman can prove the one the all must beat.
Star rating:
Bet on Alsakib with SBK
1 AL QAREEM (3)
Age: 6 Weight: 9st 7lb Form: 14-312 Rating: 112 Jockey: Clifford Lee Trainer: Karl Burke Odds: 5/1If you want to bet on a horse that you know is going to run his race, then look no further than the consistent Al Qareem. This six-year-old is a model of consistency and has put up some standout performances over the years, most notably when seeing off the then soon-to-be Arc hero, Bluestocking, at Chester.
He has already gotten off the mark this season when digging in to hold off Divine Comedy in a four runner Listed race at Nottingham and followed that up with a second-place finish to the Ascot Gold Cup favourite Illinois in the Ormonde Stakes. The negative coming into here is that he must concede 5 lbs all around, and that may be the difference between him holding on in the finish or fading inside the final furlong.
You know what you are going to get with Al Qareem, but the weight may get the better of him.
Star rating:
Bet on Al Qareem talkSPORT BET
4 EL CORDOBES (2)
Age: 4 Weight: 9st 2lb Form: 7-2213 Rating: 108 Jockey: William Buick Trainer: Charlie Appleby Odds: 6/1The one of two four-year-olds in the field, and El Cordobes is the one that could open to considerable improvement for the step up in trip. The Charlie Appleby runner has only had seven career starts to date, finishing outside the top three on only two occasions. He won well on his first start as a four-year-old when seeing off a seven-runner field by over three lengths at Newmarket.
He was sent off a 9/2 chance for a Group 3 at Newbury on the back of that win, and even though he was beaten three lengths into third, it was a good run against some decent opposition. The step up to 1m6f looks sure to suit the son of Frankel, and he can play a big part in the finish.
Star rating:
Bet on El Cordobes with bet365
5 RAJA RAJA (5)
Age: 3 Weight: 9st 4lb Form: 313-9 Rating: 95 Jockey: Oisin Murphy Trainer: James Tate Odds: 25/1His only win in seven starts came in a 0-90 handicap on the all-weather at Southwell. Raja Raja has little to no chance against much superior opposition here.
Star rating:
Bet on Raja Raja with Paddy Power
Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup verdict
A strong case can be made for four of the five runners here, and you wouldn’t be shocked if either of them got their head in front here. But the one I want to side with is ALSAKIB, who made a very promising comeback following a gelding operation.
If the gelding operation can bring about more improvement, along with race fitness, then the Alsakib can maintain the good form of Andrew Balding.
About the author
Andrew Halligan
My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.
You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).
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