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Andrew Balding: Sky Bet Ebor Festival Stable Tour

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Wed 13 Aug 2025

By Graham Clark

Andrew Balding has proven the man for the big occasion this season after firing home four winners at both Royal Ascot and the Qatar Goodwood Festival, but he is now eager to keep the momentum going at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival at York.

Fresh from walking away with the leading trainer title at Glorious Goodwood earlier this month, the Park House Stables handler intends to send a carefully-balanced squad to the Knavesmire in search of further big-race glory.

See The Fire, in the Juddmonte International, and Never So Brave, in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes, are the Group One headline acts for Balding across the four-day meeting, however, he has a whole host of talented types set to support his two top-level contenders.

And given his recent run at the major festivals, there is a strong chance the Classic-winning handler will be seen striding back into the York winner’s enclosure on at least one occasion.

Balding said: “Never So Brave and See The Fire are the two main ones we are sending up there, but hopefully we will be strong in some of the other races.

“It is a big meeting for us all and it is right behind Royal Ascot in terms of where you want to have winners.

“Royal Ascot, Goodwood and York are the three main meetings so it is a big deal to us.

“We have had some of these races here in mind for a while so hopefully they can deliver the results we are looking for."

ARRAY

(Clipper Handicap - Thursday)

“He will be wearing headgear for the first time in this race. He has been disappointing this year, but he was a Group Two winner at two.

“He looks great and his work was good this morning (Wednesday). I hope the step up to a mile and the application of some headgear will do the job.

“I think he will get the mile and he should be staying it in particular at somewhere like York.

“You need a good draw in that race, but we can’t do anything about that. I still think the ability is there as he has been working well, he just needs to engage a bit better in his races.”

COLTRANE

(Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup - Friday)

“He seems to be in great order at the moment and I couldn’t be happier with him at this moment in time.

“He won this race a couple of years ago, and we will see how strong the race looks, but he seems in great form at home.

“Even though he is advancing in years he doesn’t seem to be diminishing in enthusiasm.

“If you take the Gold Cup run out of it he has run really well this season.

“For a horse of his age he has a decent level of form and hopefully there is still a bit more to come.

“We have done Goodwood the last few years, and it hasn’t worked out for him, so after he won the Listed race at Sandown we decided to sit tight and wait to come here.”

Balding reports Coltrane to be in great order ahead of his bid for a second Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup on Friday.

DANCE IN THE STORM

(British EBF Fillies’ Handicap - Thursday)

“We feel she was a bit unlucky last time out at Goodwood, but she still finished a good second. She looks tailormade for this race and I’m looking forward to running her.

“She was nudged up three pounds for her last run, but that guarantees her position in the field here. In terms of this race I don’t think that extra three pounds will be a big disadvantage.

“Those fifty-fifty decisions in a stewards’ inquiry are difficult. I must say if the boot was on the other foot I would have much rather kept the race. As we know it swings and roundabouts with those sorts of decisions.

“I would hope there is more to come now she is back against fillies and the track should suit her.”

ENCHANTING

(Ire Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Fillies’ Handicap - Wednesday)

“We might run Enchanting in the five furlong fillies’ handicap. She was a bit disappointing at Goodwood, but this is against her own sex.

“She won very well first time out at Goodwood and was then disappointing at Ayr in a Listed race. For some reason she just didn’t fire the other day, but she seems well at home.

“She just wouldn’t want the ground too quick, but we will see how we go there.”

FOX LEGACY

(Sky Bet Strensall Stakes - Saturday)

“He has improved a whole heap this year. He looked very good at Goodwood and he is entitled to step up to Group class now.

“His win at Newmarket was over nine furlongs, as was his win last time, while the John Smith’s Cup was over a mile and a quarter. This is just short of a mile and a furlong, but it should be within his grasp.

“I didn’t know much about the horse when I received him but he was gelded, and had a nice break. I think the combination of those two things have probably helped his cause.

“I thought it was a really strong performance in the conditions race at Goodwood and we are looking forward to seeing him in the Strensall.”

Watch Fox Legacy's impressive win at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

FANTASY WORLD

(Sky Bet Melrose Handicap - Saturday)

“He won a Racing League race last time out at Yarmouth. He had previously won at Ffos Las and he looks like he is going the right way.

“He looks like he will stay further and improve stepping up in trip. He could just be a well handicapped horse.”

FURTHUR

(Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes - Wednesday)

“We have got Furthur in the Great Voltigeur and there is a chance that he runs there, but he is also in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury on Saturday.

“He ran a very good race in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, but I feel we ran him back too soon in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket and he ran really flat.

“I would say the obvious reason he ran like that at Newmarket was because he had a hard race at Ascot and he couldn’t back it up.

“However, he has worked well since and he is a grand horse that has a St Leger entry which we could look at later on.”

GEWAN

(Tattersalls Acomb Stakes - Wednesday)

“He won his maiden first time out quite impressively at Newbury. He is a Night Of Thunder and he is a horse that we like a lot. It will be interesting to see how he gets on as this is a big step up coming straight out of a maiden into a race of this nature.

“After he won at Newbury we felt that we wanted to try him at a better level and we thought York would suit him well. He travelled strongly at Newbury so it should suit him.

“He looks like a nice type and I would hope he would run well.”

JONQUIL

(Sky Bet City Of York Stakes - Saturday)

“He is in the City Of York, but I think it is more than likely he will go for the Celebration Mile at Goodwood.

“I think we are keen to get him back to a mile, but the most important thing to him is a sound surface so we will be watching the weather and keeping our options open because of that.

“If there was suddenly a lot of rain at Goodwood, and it was then not suitable, then we would have to consider this race.

“The Lennox was a messy race and those down the field had to make up their ground far too quickly to play catch up and that is not his running style.

“I think we can put a line through that and move on. He was only just beaten in a Classic so I would be hopeful he can win a nice race at some point.”

MISTER WINSTON

(Sky Bet Mile Handicap - Friday)

“He won well at Newmarket the other day, but this might come a bit too quick for him. We will probably wait and see, but he is a possibility.

“It was a smart performance at Newmarket backed up by a decent time. He has obviously been punished as a result by the handicapper, but I would hope he could still be competitive wherever he turns up.”

Recent Newmarket scorer Mister Winston is another possibility for York on Friday.

MOUNT ATLAS

(Sky Bet Handicap Stakes - Friday)

“He put in a good performance last time out. Slightly annoyingly he has gone up a couple of pounds collaterally which will put him right at the top of the weights.

“I don’t think there will be a huge weight range in this race as it will be full of horses rated in the high nineties.

“He is a decent horse that is going the right way. He is improving all the time and a strongly run mile-and-a-half will suit him.

“The big weight won’t be a bother to him and he should have an each-way chance.”

NEVER SO BRAVE

(Sky Bet City Of York Stakes - Saturday)

“He is effective over seven furlongs, and a mile, and he looks like he is an improving horse. I would hope he goes there with a good chance.

“I think you can upgrade his win in the Summer Mile in the acceleration he was able to show, which he showed over seven furlongs at the Royal meeting in the Buckingham Palace as well.

“You can never be confident going into a race like the Buckingham Palace Stakes given the field size, but he clearly looked above being a handicapper after that race.

“He is a very smart horse that has won a Group Two that now deserves to have a shot at a Group One.

“This race is going to be full of good horses and he will have to improve again. The fact we missed Goodwood to come straight here I hope will help him.”

Summer Mile hero Never So Brave will be aiming for a first Group One in the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes on Saturday. (Photo: focusonracing.com)

NEW MONARCH

(British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes - Friday)

“He is crying out for a step up to seven furlongs having run two good races up to an extended six furlongs.

“He has been second at Newbury and then second at Ascot, but he wants that extra furlong so this test should suit him well. We are looking forward to running him.

“He has a nice level of form and is potentially a smart horse in the making.

“Although he hasn’t won yet the flip side to that is that it has allowed us to go for a maiden like this.”

OLD IS GOLD

(Sky Bet Nursery Handicap - Wednesday)

“He ran well last time out on his first start over six furlongs last time at Goodwood it was just a shame he was left in front.

“James (Doyle) didn’t really have any options as he was left in front and his ears were flicking around and he was still learning on the job.

“We campaigned him over five furlongs early on with the Windsor Castle Stakes in mind, but he was strong at the end of the line in the conditions race over five furlongs at Beverley, which is a stiff five furlongs, and the six furlongs here should suit him really well.

“He has come out of his last race well and York should play to his strengths.”

POINT OF CONTACT

(Sky Bet Mile Handicap - Friday)

“I thought he ran well very well at Goodwood where I think he was a little bit unlucky. He is very versatile ground wise.

“This race will take a lot of winning but I feel he is still on a mark where he can be competitive, however he seems in good form.”

ROYAL PLAYWRIGHT

(Clipper Handicap - Thursday)

“I think it is unlikely he will run at York, but he will probably be confirmed for the race. I think it is more likely he will take up a race at Windsor later in the week.

“I think he is a high class horse but things haven’t worked out for him this year. He is pretty decent and at some stage he will win a big race.

“His run in the Burradon at Newcastle was excellent. To me the Dante was just a funny race. We dropped him in to get the trip, but nothing seemed to happen as, bar the winner, nothing seemed to change position. It was weird race to make up ground.

“He then ran very well at Epsom in the Diomed before he was a bit disappointing last time out at Newmarket. I just feel there is a lot more to come from this horse.”

SECRET OF LOVE

(British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes - Thursday)

“Secret Of Love could turn up in the Galtres. She has run some good races this season. She was second in the Cheshire Oaks, which was an excellent run in hindsight.

“She ran very well against the boys last time out in the Glasgow Stakes. The one she wouldn’t want is very fast ground. She will have the entry there and we will have a look at it.

“I think she is a handy filly that is capable of winning a race of this nature if the conditions suited her.”

SEE THE FIRE

(Juddmonte International - Wednesday)

“She has come out of the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood really well. She worked this morning (Wednesday) and looked in great shape. She is two from two at York.

“She was very good winning the Middleton at the start of the season, which is over the same course and distance.

“I couldn’t be happier with her. It was unfortunate at Goodwood, not that we might have beaten Whirl whatever the conditions, but she is better with a sounder surface and the flag start certainly didn’t help, but she is none the worse for that.

“She wasn’t far behind Ombudsman in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting and I would think this track suits her better.

“It is a very difficult race to be winning but she is in a great place to run a big race. We are looking forward to her running.”

SIR ALBERT

(Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap - Thursday)

“He won the nursery at Goodwood and brings progressive form into the race having now won his last three starts.

“He is very tough and he probably will stay a mile in time. It is difficult for a horse like him as there are not many options when you get in a mark in the nineties.

“You are just short of stakes race level, and there are not many races worth running in, but this is one of them.”

SPIRIT MIXER

(Sky Bet Stayers Handicap - Wednesday)

“We plan to run Spirit Mixer in the stayers handicap on the first day. He obviously won the Northumberland Plate up at Newcastle on his penultimate start, but he just didn’t get the chance to race. They literally hacked round and it turned into a sprint.

“He has had a blow out there, but he will now head to York and he seems in good form.

“He is still on a rating where he should be competitive so hopefully he will run well.”

STELLAR SUNRISE

(Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap - Thursday)

“He won the six furlong maiden at Goodwood last time out. He has got a handy level of form but you need a bit of luck in a race like this with the draw and things to work out for you.

“I think he will improve for going another furlong and he could be well handicapped.

“We feel he is ready to step up to this sort of trip now.”

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SUBSEQUENT

(Sky Bet Ebor Handicap - Saturday)

“On the face of it he was a bit disappointing last time out at Goodwood, but actually I think, like he did last year, that he has just taken a couple of runs to find his feet.

“His work was good this morning (Wednesday), with a tongue strap on, and I think that could help his cause as well.

“I wouldn’t rule him out as on last year’s performances he would be competitive in a race like this. I think we are getting him back somewhere towards his best now.”

TARRIANCE

(Sky Bet Melrose Handicap - Saturday)

“He would be an obvious horse for the Melrose. He won over the trip at Sandown Park last time out. He really was tenacious to see off the Sir Mark Prescott horse, but he is improving all the time.

“He has gone up a bit in the weights, so that doesn’t make life any easier, however he is in good form.”

TROPICAL STORM

(Sky Bet Constantine Handicap - Saturday)

“He has gone to York twice over five furlongs in Listed races and won both times. We have been desperate to try him over a bit further for a while.

“He knocked himself at Ascot last time out and Oisin (Murphy) thought he had gone wrong, but he was absolutely fine so his last race was a bit of a non-event.

“Dropping into a handicap and trying six furlongs on a track he likes could be interesting.

“With the sprinters it is more important things like the start and the draw and those sort of things rather than carrying a few extra pounds as most races like this are compressed handicaps.”

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