The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race held at the York Racecourse in York, England. It is open to horses aged three years or older and it is raced at a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs, and 88 yards.
The first race was in 1972 and it was organized by Major Leslie Petch, who was a retired Clerk of House in York. The race was sponsored by Benson and Hedges, hence it was named the Benson and Hedges Cup. The sponsorship stayed until 1985 before the company Matchmaker took over until 1988. Since 199, the race has been sponsored by Juddmonte Farms and that’s the reason why the race’s full name is the Juddmonte International Stakes.
The race is now held on the opening day of the four-day Ebor Festival in York. For 2019, that date is on August 21, 2019.
Here are the horse racing betting odds to win the 2019 Juddmonte International Stakes. These odds were taken from 888Sport as of 7/30/19:
Horse | Odds |
---|---|
Enable | +150 |
Crystal Ocean | +300 |
Magical | +600 |
Circus Maximus | +1000 |
King of Comedy | +1000 |
Anthony Van Dyck | +1200 |
Sangarius | +1400 |
Benbatl | +1600 |
Hermosa | +1600 |
Japan | +1600 |
Lord Glitters | +1600 |
Addeybb | +2000 |
Cheval Grand | +2000 |
Madhmoon | +2000 |
Who Are the Favorites?
Enable is a five-year-old bay filly owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah and trained by Josh Gosden. She is coming off a victory at the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last weekend. Enable also won the Coral-Eclipse Stakes G1 race at Sandown last July 6, 2019. She has won 11 consecutive races, 10 of which were of the Group 1 kind, and has a total of 12 wins in 13 starts.
Crystal Ocean is a five-year-old bay horse trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by Sir Evelyn De Rothschild. He finished second to enable last weekend at Ascot. Prior to that, he won his first three races of 2019 including the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot last month.
Magical is a four-year-old bay filly trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Derrick Smith & John Magnier & Michael Tabor. She finished second behind enable at the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes earlier this month. She also finished second to Crystal Ocean in the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes last June.
Betting Trends
- Jockey Frankie Dettori has a total of 5 wins
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute has a total of 6 wins
- 10 out of the last 12 winners were aged 3 or 4
- 7 out of the last 12 winners were the betting favorites.
- 10 out of the last 12 were in the Top 3 of the odds board.
- 7 out of the last 12 winners won their previous race before the International Stakes.
- 10 out of the last 12 winners had their last run within 46 days from the International Stakes.
- 10 out of the last 12 winners had at least one previous run at 10 or 11 furlongs.
- 7 out of the last 12 winners had at least one previous win at 10 or 11 furlongs.
- 11 out of the last 12 winners had at least 6 previous flat runs
- 12 out of the last 12 winners had at least 3 previous flat run wins.
- 11 out of the last 12 winners had a rating of 120 or higher.
- 11 out of the last 12 winners had at least one Group 1 win.
- 12 out of the last 12 winners had at least two wins from Grade 1-3 races.
- 11 out of the last 12 winners had at least 3 previous runs that season.
- 10 out of the last 12 winners had at least two previous wins that season.
Who Wins?
Looking at the betting trends, it says that this race has been won by the favorite 7 out of the last 12 times and that 10 out of the last 12 winners were among the Top 3 betting favorites. That’s why we tried to narrow down our list of favorites to the Top 3. When it comes to the Top 3, Enable is really a special horse and she has aged like wine, winning one race after another.
Enable and Crystal Ocean literally went head to head for two furlongs in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes last July 27th. In the end, though, it was Enable who won her 11th straight race. Enable also edged out Crystal Ocean in the G3 September Stakes last year.
As far as Magical is concerned, Enable defeated Magical at the Longines Breeders Cup Turf at Churchill Downs last November. Enable also beat Magical at the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October 2018. Ridden by Frank Dettori who has won the International Stakes 5 times, I’m picking Enable to win the 2019 Juddmonte International Stakes.