Ebor Festival Betting Preview 2025

The Ebor Festival is one of the biggest flat racing meetings in the county. Taking place at York, and in existence since 1843, it is one of the last big flat meetings of the season.

When Is The York Ebor Festival?

As we mentioned, the festival has been in existence since 1843 and has been ran every year since. The one exception to this was in 2008, when unprecedented wet weather saw the course waterlogged and unfit for racing. As a replacement that year, the Ebor Handicap was ran at Newbury under the name ‘Newburgh Handicap’ – based on the Roman name for the town.

Each year, the Ebor Festival takes place towards the end of the flat racing season, with it traditionally getting underway on the third Wednesday of August, with the opening day headlined by the Group One Juddmonte International.

How Many Days Is The York Ebor Festival?

The Festival is always four days long, starting on a Wednesday and finishing on a Saturday. Alongside the Juddmonte, Wednesday also sees the Great Voltigeur and the Acomb Stakes contested. On Thursday, it is the turn of the Lowther Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks, which has been ran since 1849.

The group races on Friday include the Nunthorpe Stakes, Gimcrack Stakes and the Group Three Strensall Stakes, which is named after a nearby village. Finally, the meeting rounds off with the Lonsdale Cup – won three times by modern legend Stradivarius – and the Ebor Handicap itself.

Why Is It Called The Ebor Festival?

The name for the Festival and the Handicap takes inspiration from the Roman history of York itself. Established as an outpost of the Roman Empire, it was previously known as Eboracum before developing into the city we know today. First introduced in 1843 as the Great Ebor Stakes by John Orton, a newly appointed Clerk of the Course, the name has been in use ever since.

What Is The Prize Money For The Ebor Race?

The prize money for the Ebor Handicap itself has fluctuated in recent years, but it peaked in 2019 with a total purse of £1m on offer. Since then, there have been reductions to the pot, but there is still a total of £500k on offer in the Ebor, with the winner collecting a cool £300k for connections.

Elsewhere across the Festival, every single race has a minimum prize fund of £100k, but the biggest hitter is the Juddmonte. This year, the total fund is just shy of £1.4m, with the winner claiming just under £750k. The winner of the Yorkshire Oaks will pocket around £350k, with the Nunthorpe Stakes worth £395k to connections of the winner.

Who Are The Favourites At The York Ebor Festival 2025?

A stellar cast look set to travel to the Knavesmire for the 2025 Ebor Festival, with Ombudsman and Delacroix among the favourites for the prestigious Juddmonte International. Derby winner Lambourn will head the market in the Great Voltigeur with Minnie Hauk likely to be a strong odds on shot to fend off her three rivals in the Yorkshire Oaks.

After finishing second in the Sussex Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes, Rosallion will be looking to secure a first win of the summer in the City Of York Stakes, and Wise Approach is likely to be a warm favourite in the Gimcrack for the Godolphin team.

Where Can I Watch York Ebor Festival?

All races from the Ebor will be streamed live on the Spreadex site. Viewers on television have the choice between coverage on ITV or Racing TV.