2022 Ebor Handicap Tips - Odds, trends and two selections

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 19 Aug 2022

Jon Vine 19 Aug 2022

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Ante-post preview of the 2022 Ebor Handicap [Updated on 19/8/22]
This lucrative contest takes place on day four of the Ebor Festival at York on Saturday 20th August
Earl Of Tyrone heads the betting after the field was confirmed
Okita Soushi was our ante-post bet at 16/1 (Now 9/1)
Calling The Wind is our second selection at 33/1

Expired

Ben Coen riding Sonnyboyliston (yellow) win The Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York Racecourse on August 21, 2021. (Getty)

One of the biggest handicap races staged in Europe takes place on day four of York's Ebor Festival, as 22 talented stayers take part in the Ebor Handicap. This contest was first run on the Knavesmire in the 1840s and legendary names like Lily Agnes, Brown Jack, Sea Pigeon and Further Flight feature on the glittering roll of honour.

Last year, I was lucky enough to tip and back Sonnyboyliston at 20/1 before he delivered the goods at York. We've taken a look through the entries for this year's Ebor Handicap, listed the key recurring trends and picked out two runners to back.

Ebor Handicap Trends

14 of the last 15 winners were four, five or six-years-old
13 of the last 15 winners carried 9-00 or more
13 of the last 15 winners had all run over the Ebor trip or further
12 of the last 15 winners went off at a double-figure price
12 of the last 15 winners had run no more than 4 times that year
11 of the last 15 winners had been off the track for at least 30 days
11 of the last 15 winners were drawn in stall 14 or wider
60% of top four placers came from a double-figure stall
11 of the last 15 winners won or placed on their last handicap start
8 of the last 10 winners were rated 101 or more

2022 Ebor Handicap Odds

Name	Odds
Earl Of Tyrone	7/1
Okita Soushi	9/1
Gaassee	10/1
Candleford	12/1
Ever Present	12/1
Euchen Glen	14/1
License	14/1
John Leeper	14/1
Trawlerman	14/1
Bar	16/1

*Odds taken on 18/8/22*

2022 Ebor Handicap Tip 1 - Okita Soushi

Okita Soushi E/W2022 Ebor Handicap Ante-Post TipGET 9/1 HERE

As mentioned in the trends, 13 of the last 15 winners carried 9-00 or more, so you need proven class at a high level to win the Ebor. The classy runner I'm most keen on is OKITA SOUSHI (Tipped at 16/1 on 21/7/22), who I NAP'd when he ran in the Copper Horse Stakes on day one of Royal Ascot.

Very few horses made in-roads from off the pace during that meeting, so I wasn't too pleased to see Declan McDonogh hold Okita Soushi up out the back. Joseph O'Brien's colt did very well to stay on from the rear and finish just two lengths behind Get Shirty - who's won again since - in third.

Okita Soushi was last seen finishing second to stablemate, Shoshone Warrior in the Belfield at Leopardstown. The winner that day poached a 15-length lead coming out the blocks and was never pegged back. O'Brien's four-year-old, who was giving a stone to the winner, kept on well in the closing stages to finish second ahead of 107-rated Sandhurst, who was also getting a stone from Tony Hamilton's mount.

Okita Soushi has only had five lifetime starts. On his first two outings this season, he's recorded RPRs of 111 and 112. O'Brien's four-year-old has the ideal profile for a race like the Ebor and could be extremely well-treated off his current mark of just 106.

*Update*

Since our preview was published, Okita Soushi has been backed down to a single-figure price. Joseph O'Brien will be delighted with his wide draw in stall 22 and Mike Sheehy - who rode Okita Soushi when they finished second in a Listed contest earlier in the season - reduces his burden to 9-5. The stage seems set for Okita Soushi to run a huge race.

2022 Ebor Handicap Tip 2 - Calling The Wind

Calling The Wind E/W2022 Ebor Handicap Tip 2GET 33/1 HERE

The Ebor seems to have been the plan for CALLING THE WIND since the end of last season, and Richard Hughes - who never managed to ride the winner of this huge handicap - will be pleased with a neutral draw in stall 11.

Calling The Wind looked progressive when winning the Goodwood Handicap over two-and-half-miles last season. Hughes' six-year-old then finished third in the Cesarewitch, in between excellent placed efforts in the Dubai Duty Free and November Handicaps, both run over 12 furlongs.

In a bid to protect his charge's handicap mark, Calling The Wind has been campaigned at a high level this season. David Egan's mount looked on course to win the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot, until he was struck in the face by a rival rider's whip in the final 100 yards, which seemed to halt his momentum.

Calling The Wind was last seen finishing third behind runaway winner Coltrane in the Coral Marathon 50 days ago, where he came from the rear and finished ahead of Ebor rivals Euchen Glen and Not So Sleepy. Runners who've been freshened up have an excellent record in the Ebor and Calling The Wind has a much better chance than his current lengthy odds suggest.

Verdict

2022 Ebor Handicap

Okita Soushi is our first ante-post selection in the 2022 Ebor Handicap. (Tipped at 16/1 now 9/1)

When the final field was confirmed, we also backed Calling The Wind at 33/1.

Okita Soushi

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