The Ebor Festival in mid-August is York’s premier meeting of the season and the Knavesmire comes to life on the final day for the The Ebor Handicap itself, traditionally one of Europe’s richest long distance handicaps. Here’s our list of five famous winners of the Ebor at York.
The Ebor Handicap: Sea Pigeon
Not many horses can lay claim to winning the Ebor before going on to land a pair of Champion Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival, but that is what Sea Pigeon managed in 1979 for trainer Peter Easterby with Jonjo O’Neill in the saddle.
He was already a nine-year-old by this point in his career and Sea Pigeon had top weight of 10st, conceding chunks of weight to younger rivals.
O’Neill, said to have got the all-clear to ride by having the course medic examine his good foot rather than the one with three broken toes, got him to the front, but Sea Pigeon had a habit of doing little when he got there and it took a lengthy examination of the photo-finish to determine that he had only just held off Donegal Prince in second spot.
The Ebor Handicap: Tiger Cliff
In 2013, Lady Cecil sent out Tiger Cliff in the hands of Tom Queally at York, just two months after the passing of her husband, Sir Henry Cecil, who won the Ebor twice with Kneller and Tuning. It was the most poignant of successes, surely proof that the racing gods have a say in such matters, as Tiger Cliff stayed on strongly for a half-length success from Genzy on ground severely softened by rain, clearly to the liking of the mud-loving gelding.
Henry Ponsonby, manager of the winning syndicate, declared afterwards of the much-missed trainer: “He kept mentioning before he died, Ebor, Ebor, Ebor. It’s very emotional. Henry would have loved this, and I think he had something to do with turning the taps on above.”
The Ebor Handicap: Gladness
The win of Gladness in 1958 cemented the emerging partnership between Lester Piggott and Vincent O’Brien, two greats of the game. The mare scored by a handsome six-lengths at York, doing so with the utmost ease, having already landed the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup that year in the colours of the American construction magnate John McShain. Her class was clear, and at York she coasted home despite conceding 29lb to her nearest pursuer.
The Ebor Handicap: Mudawin
Jane Chapple-Hyam, training only her fifth winner since taking out a licence nine months earlier, caused something of an Ebor stir when Mudawin landed the prize in 2006 at odds of 100/1, easily the longest-price SP in the modern era.
Having finished lame and last on his most recent outing coming in to York, Mudawin was an afterthought to many, but he had winning form off a 2lb higher mark and had been successful on two of his previous four runs, with winning jockey John Egan revealing post-race that the fledgling licensee had ‘told me she thought he’d win’.
The Ebor Handicap: Absurde
In 2023, Absurde provided a second Ebor winner for Willie Mullins and, likely, a third and final success in the York showpiece for Frankie Dettori as he continued a remarkable final season riding in Britain. Absurde had been denied by stablemate Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot in June but, rated 3lb higher, he held off John and Thady Gosden’s Sweet William – the favourite – to land the Ebor.
He couldn’t add the Melbourne Cup in November, but he was a Cheltenham Festival winner in March 2024 via the County Hurdle under an inspired Paul Townend ride.
By Harry Wilson
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