Two days into the Ebor Festival and the Knavesmire has already delivered the highs and talking points that make this sport so compelling. Wednesday (20 August) brought a performance of authority from OMBUDSMAN (William Buick) in the G1 International Stakes, while on Thursday MINNIE HAUK (Ryan Moore) produced something rarer still in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, powering home by three and a half lengths to complete a famous Oaks hat-trick. If you love excellence, you have been well served.
The International Stakes is always a barometer of class and OMBUDSMAN looked every inch the best middle-distance horse in training, as his number 1 ranking in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings suggests he is. He travelled like the best horse in the field, absorbed pressure when it counted, then quickened in that telling final furlong to put matters beyond doubt. Form from this race usually holds up into the early autumn, and while there will be options at a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half, the key takeaway is simpler: he has the tools, the temperament and the turn of foot to dictate terms to high-class opposition. Connections now have the enviable problem of choosing the right path. From our side of the fence, it was a delight to watch a plan come together so cleanly.
MINNIE HAUK’s Yorkshire Oaks will live long in the memory. A margin like that in a Group 1 for fillies and mares is never gifted. It was earned through balance, bravery and a relentless gallop that broke the race open. Completing the Oaks treble is a feat that writes its own headline, and the next chapter seems obvious. The well-worn path from York to Longchamp has served great fillies before. On this evidence, she has the engine to take a crack at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, where a strong pace and a long straight can play to exactly these strengths. There is work to do between now and the first Sunday in October, and every rival will arrive with the same dream, but she has placed herself at the heart of that conversation.
Attention now turns to Friday (22 August) and the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes – carded as (S4-4) and scheduled to go off at 10.35pm, 1000 metres that reward nerve as much as speed. Blink and you miss it.
The progressive two-year-old LADY IMAN (Joe Fanning) looks to be fine value as a genuine win and place chance. The weight allowance is significant in a race run at warp speed, and her blend of raw pace and professionalism could see her make history against the older sprinters. Execution is everything, but she has earned the right to be taken seriously.
At Newmarket, the Listed Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Hopeful Stakes (S3-2) also provides interest. Saeed bin Suroor’s DUBAI TREASURE (Daniel Muscutt) appeals as a win and place proposition in the 1200m dash, which starts at 8.20pm. He travels well, handles pressure, and looks the type to finish strongly if the race unfolds cleanly. For those engaging through World Pool, these are precisely the contests where liquidity and global opinion create opportunity.
On Saturday, the World All-Star Jockeys begins in Sapporo. The format rewards consistency across four races, not just headline wins, which plays to the strengths of Karis Teetan and Alexis Badel. Both are adept at coaxing above-average results from ordinary rides, and that could put Team WAS (World All-Stars) in the hunt. Winning won’t be easy, but they look well-equipped to post competitive scores throughout the weekend and end the winless drought for the All-Stars.
Back home in Hong Kong, preliminaries for the start of the 2025/26 season are well underway. This morning’s barrier trials (22 August) at Sha Tin were a first run-out for many of the horses on display, and star sprinter KA YING RISING wasted no time in stamping himself ready.
With regular rider Zac Purton in the saddle, KA YING RISING produced a dazzling run in his first trial of the new campaign. He surged clear of his rivals to finish 14 and a quarter lengths in front, clocking a sharp 59.26s for 1050m. For a first hit-out, he could not have been more impressive. It was everything you would want to see at this stage, and appeared to be the perfect start to his preparation for the new campaign. What made it all the more striking was Zac’s post-trial view that the horse still had more to give.
KA YING RISING will resume in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1200m), the traditional season-opener, which doubles as his final tune-up before heading to Sydney for his daring assault on the G1 The Everest (1200m). Last season, he showed he belongs in world-class company; this morning suggested he has only strengthened. His autumn targets are as ambitious as they are exciting, and his campaign has begun in the best possible fashion.
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