The Sky Bet York Ebor Festival starts at 14h50 on Wednesday and we are all set for four glorious days of high quality racing action on the Knavesmire.
The Gr1 Juddmonte International Stakes, unquestionably one of the world’s great horse races, is the main attraction on Day 1.
You can follow the stride-for-stride action every day on Gallop TV.
City Of Troy – the horse to beat (Pic – Racing TV)
City Of Troy will face 12 rivals as he bids for more Gr1 glory and Aidan O’Brien’s star will be looking to build on famous victories in the Derby and Coral-Eclipse, going up against Ambiente Friendly and Bluestocking
With an honour roll headed by Frankel, and including the likes of Roberto, Troy, Dahlia (twice), Giant’s Causeway, Sea The Stars, Roaring Lion and Baaeed, the Juddmonte International remains a tremendous barometer of thoroughbred excellence.
But how has the race fared in terms of producing top-class stallions?
First run as the Benson And Hedges Gold Cup, the very first running was won in 1972 by that year’s English Derby winner Roberto (Hail To Reason).
The latter became a hugely successful sire, broodmare sire and sire of sires, with Roberto siring such Gr1 winners as At Talaq, Brian’s Time, Sookera, Sunshine Forever and Touching Wood, and also producing such top-class stallions as Al Mufti, Dynaformer, Kris S, Lear Fan, Red Ransom, and Silver Hawk to name but a few.
Roberto’s numerous high-class daughters include the likes of Modena, Slightly Dangerous, Suntrap, and Immense.
Roberto is but one of a number of breed shaping stallions to have won the York showpiece.
In 1983, the race was won by Caerleon, arguably the finest stallion sired by Nijinsky II.
Also winner of the 1983 Prix du Jockey Club, Caerleon was Leading Sire in Britain and Ireland in both 1988 and 1991, and his offspring included such classic winners as Generous, Lady Carla, Moonax and Cape Verdi. Sire of more than 100 stakes winners, Caerleon was also responsible for Gr1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Marienbard, dual Gr1 Coronation Cup hero Warrsan and dual Gr1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Only Royale.
Giant’s Causeway
Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat), the courageous winner of the 2000 Juddmonte International, is one of the most influential sires of the century. Three times champion sire in the USA, Giant’s Causeway sired 196 stakes winners, with his star performers including champion and outstanding sire Shamardal, and such stars as Footstepsinthesand, Take Charge Brandi, Bricks And Mortar, Carpe Diem, Ghanaati, and Eskendereya.
Giant’s Causeway has become an outstanding broodmare sire, and is damsire of, among others, US Horse Of The Year and outstanding sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride) and Met winning champion, and prominent young South African sire, One World (Captain Al). At the time of writing, daughters of Giant’s Causeway had produced 220 stakes winners. Thus Giant’s Causeway ranks as the sire or broodmare sire of more than 400 stakes winners.
The Galileo sired Frankel, a breathtaking seven length winner of this race in 2012, has become as great a sire as he was a racehorse. The unbeaten superstar recently marked his 100th group/graded stakes winner, having already sired more than 140 stakes winners.
Frankel (Galileo – Kind)
Champion Sire in Britain/Ireland in both 2021 and 2023, Frankel has already sired more than 30 Gr1 winners including English classic winners Adayar, Anapurna, Chaldean, Hurricane Lane, Logician, and Soul Sister. His son Mostahdaf emulated him by landing the Gr1 Juddmonte International in 2023.
Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), half-brother to Frankel’s sire Galileo, was an outstanding racehorse who has become a top stallion. Once beaten in nine starts, Sea The Stars won all of the Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, Gr1 Investec Derby, Gr1 Coral-Eclipse, Gr1 Juddmonte International, Gr1 Irish Champion Stakes and Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and retired with a reputation of being one of the best horses to race this century.
Since retiring to stud in 2010, Sea The Stars has sired more than 120 stakes winners, including Epsom classic winners Harzand and Taghrooda, outstanding stayer Stradivarius, once beaten Gr1 Deutsches Derby winner and successful sire Sea The Moon, and brilliant Juddmonte International winner Baaeed.
Sea The Stars – champion
Sea The Stars had another good weekend, with daughter Aventure landing the Gr2 Prix de Pomone at Deauville, his son Al Aasy winning Saturday’s Gr3 BetVictor Geoffrey Free Stakes and a yearling filly making 730 000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale.
While the 1979 winner Troy (Petingo) died after just four seasons at stud, he left an indelible mark on the breed. Not only did his son Tropular sire French Derby winner Ragmar, his Gr1 winning daughters Helen Street (Irish Oaks) and Walensee (Prix Vermeille) both did well at stud.
Walensee produced champion stayer Westerner (Danehill), and it is through Helen Street that Troy’s name will last for decades to come. Helen Street is responsible for producing Dubai World Cup winner and outstanding sire Street Cry (Machiavellian), and her daughter Helsinki (Machiavellian) produced another outstanding sire in the form of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway).
Singspiel, winner of the 1997 Juddmonte International, also enjoyed notable success at stud. The In The Wings half-brother to Rahy and Rakeen left behind 100 stakes winners including five time Gr1 winner Solow, Gr1 Dubai World Cup hero Moon Ballad, Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf queen Lahudood, and French Oaks winner Confidential Lady. His Gr1 winning sons Lateral and Potala Palace have both produced a Gr1 winner in South Africa.
A high-class broodmare sire, Singspiel’s champion daughter Dar Re Mi is dam of champion and sensational young sire Too Darn Hot (Dubawi), one of the world’s most exciting young stallions.
