Ebor Festival Preview: Must-Know Contenders for Top Races The Ebor Festival at York is on the horizon, the last great bastion of Britain's summer programme on the Flat. They'll race on the Knavesmire from Wednesday 20th through until Saturday 23rd August, with the Juddmonte International Stakes and Nunthorpe Stakes amongst the Group 1 highlights and the Ebor Handicap, as always, one of the most valuable races of its kind in Britain. Below are a trio of runners that could be worth looking out for at York during the Ebor Festival. Daryz — Juddmonte International Stakes French raider Daryz is generally available at around 14/1 to win the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York and he looks worth a chance. Delacroix and Ombudsman were involved in perhaps the race of the season so far in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown last month, as the Ballydoyle inmate came from the clouds to pip John & Thady Gosden's Royal Ascot winner in scarcely believable fashion. They could meet again at York, and the market has them at the front end, but this Aga Khan-owned son of Sea The Stars might have the tools to upset them on the Knavesmire. The Francis Graffard-trained colt remains unbeaten after four starts and has taken each rise in class in his stride. He is bred to go to the very top and his most recent Group 2 win at Saint-Cloud in the Prix Eugene Adam witnessed an electric change of gear that could absolutely be suited to York and this particular race. Lady Iman — Nunthorpe Stakes Lady Iman ran out an impressive winner of the Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and her owner, Roger O'Callaghan, has pinpointed the Nunthorpe next. He will need to stump up a supplementary fee but trainer Ger Lyons has already confirmed that Joe Fanning has been booked for the ride at York, so that appears a foregone conclusion. Lady Iman is a two-year-old taking on older horses but Lyons believes in her, despite some reservations about going in against older performers. Asked how she had emerged from her Goodwood exertions, Lyons said: "She's bombproof. I wish I could find a reason not to go to the Nunthorpe, but there isn't one. She's just bombproof." Kingsgate Native in 2007 for John Best and Jimmy Quinn is the only two-year-old winner of the Nunthorpe since Lyric Fantasy in 1992, but Lady Iman handled the frantic 5f at Goodwood like an old pro and the Starman filly can take advantage of her allowances to bag this major sprinting prize next. America Queen — Lowther Stakes Richard Hughes got off the mark at Group 1 level as a trainer when 66/1 shot No Half Measures landed the July Cup at Newmarket and now he's promising to send “one of his best juveniles” to York for the Lowther Stakes. American Queen is a filly by Havana Grey and she made a striking start to her career when scoring by a dozen lengths at Haydock (6f, good) in July. She was well found in the market and left her rivals flailing under Billy Loughnane. The trainer admits he anticipated the Haydock win, before adding: “When Billy [Loughnane] gave her a tap behind the saddle, which we'd never done at home, she took off”. The Group 2 Lowther over 6f at York has been identified as the next stepping stone and Hughes is clearly expecting big things.
