2023 Ebor Handicap Tips - Odds, trends and two to back

Jon Vine

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Last updated: 25 Aug 2023

Jon Vine 25 Aug 2023

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Free preview of the 2023 Ebor Handicap [Updated on 25/8/23]
This lucrative contest takes place on day four of the Ebor Festival at York on Saturday 26th August
Real Dream and Scriptwriter feature in our selections

Expired

Richard Kingscote rides Real Dream to win The Ascot Racecourse Supports Children Handicap Stakes at Ascot. (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.

I've taken a look through the betting for the Ebor Handicap, listed some key recurring trends and picked out my best betting tips.

Ebor Handicap Trends

15 of the last 16 winners were four, five or six-years-old
14 of the last 16 winners carried 9-00 or more
14 of the last 16 winners had all run over the Ebor trip or further
13 of the last 16 winners had run no more than 4 times that year
12 of the last 16 winners won or placed on their last handicap start
12 of the last 16 winners were drawn in stall 14 or wider
12 of the last 16 winners went off at a double-figure price
11 of the last 16 winners had been off the track for at least 30 days
60% of top four placers came from a double-figure stall
9 of the last 11 winners were rated 101 or more

2023 Ebor Handicap Odds

Name	Odds
Sweet William	4/1
Absurde	7/1
Real Dream	8/1
Jackfinbar	8/1
Live Your Dream	8/1
Scampi	11/1
Adjuvant	12/1
Bar	14/1

Victory for Sweet William at Glorious Goodwood guaranteed the Gosden's four-year-old would get a run in the Ebor. Rab Havlin's mount has looked like a group horse masquerading in handicap company, but a very low draw in stall three could pose a problem, if the trends are to be believed.

Willie Mullins has two runners sitting prominently in the market, with Absurde being joined in the field by Jackfinbar. Frankie Dettori will again ride Absurde, having partnered Mullins' runner in the Ascot Stakes. William Buick rides the well-backed Jackfinbar and both of Willie's raiders have to be respected.

2023 Ebor Handicap Tip 1 - Real Dream

Real Dream2023 Ebor Handicap Tip 1GET 8/1 HERE

I'm going to stick with both of my ante-post selections, starting with REAL DREAM (Was 10/1, now 8/1), who was backed into 3/1 favouritism for the Jorvik Handicap on the back of an easy reappearance win at Kempton.

Ryan Moore was under pressure at an early stage in that race, as his mount got a little outpaced entering the straight. Scampi eventually ran out a ready winner, but I was impressed with the way Real Dream responded for pressure in the closing stage to cross the line a one-length third. Stoute's rising star then bolted up over the Ebor distance in a handicap at Ascot, winning by five lengths without overly exerting himself.

Given his breeding - by Lope De Vega and out of a Group One winning mare - and his trainer's prowess at helping older horses progress, I wouldn't be surprised to see Real Dream running in pattern races before the season is out. With Ryan Moore in the saddle again, I can't pass up the chance to back him in a handicap off what could prove to be a lenient mark.

scriptwriter races — Paddy Brennan riding Scriptwriter (red) clear the last to win The JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham Racecourse. (Getty)

2023 Ebor Handicap Tip 2 - Scriptwriter

Scriptwriter E/W2023 Ebor Handicap Tip 2GET 16/1 HERE

I'm surprised, after such an excellent effort behind the classy Hamish over the Ebor course-and-distance last month, to see that the talented SCRIPTWRITER (Was 20/1, now 16/1) can still be backed at such a lengthy price.

Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien, Scriptwriter enjoyed an excellent juvenile hurdle campaign for Milton Harris, winning a Group Two at Cheltenham before rounding off his campaign with a fifth-place finish at Aintree. Harris' star struggled to get involved from off the pace on his return to the flat at Royal Ascot, but bounced back with a superb effort in the Silver Cup Stakes, losing out to 117-rated Hamish by just a head.

Harris' four-year-old managed to reach an excellent juvenile rating of 130 over hurdles, despite jumping fairly poorly on more than one occasion. On the flat, Scriptwriter remains fairly unexposed, having run just six times and only twice in handicap company.

Scriptwriter has since been snapped up by Australian connections, with the aim of running in this year's Melbourne Cup. The Ebor Festival will be Scriptwriter's final start for Milton Harris and, based on that effort in Group Three company, he could be dangerously well-handicapped running off this fresh mark of 106.

Verdict

2023 Ebor Handicap

Real Dream and Scriptwriter are our ante-post tips for the 2023 Ebor.

Real Dream

2023 Ebor Handicap Tip 1

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Scriptwriter E/W

2023 Ebor Handicap Tip 2

@16/1 - 10 Units

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