Juddmonte International Stakes date: TBD
Racecourse: York
Type: group 1 weight for age stakes flat race
Age of the horses: 4 years old and older
Distance: 1 mile 2 furlongs 56 yards
The first of three Group 1 races during the Ebor Festival run at York each year is the Juddmonte International Stakes. Originally sponsored by Benson and Hedges, it was first run in 1972 with the famous meeting between Roberto and Brigadier Gerard on the Knavesmire.
Since 1989, however, the race has been sponsored by Juddmonte Farms – the breeding operation of powerful global owner Prince Khalid Abdullah of the Saudi Arabian royal family. It has developed into the most prestigious middle-distance Flat race run in the north of England.
Held in August, the Juddmonte International has been won by top thoroughbreds including Dahlia, Rodrigo de Triano, Singspiel, Giant’s Causeway, Nayef, Authorized, Sea The Stars, Frankel and Australia. Three-year-olds get 7lb weight for age from their elders in this race.
That is incentivise younger horses to come to York and run in the Juddmonte International Stakes. Its place in the annual calendar and British pattern programme is about halfway between the Eclipse at Sandown in early July and the Champion Stakes at Ascot during mid-October.
If you are looking for betting on the Juddmonte International Stakes, then be sure to visit bookmakers from midsummer onwards and especially following the Eclipse. That is the previous Group 1 over roughly 10 furlongs. The Juddmonte International is an early closing race, so entries will be out well in advance. While you will find ante post markets on the race, be warned that you could use your stake if the horse you fancy doesn’t line up in the race.
The trade off here is that you will get better prices on the Juddmonte International Stakes runners in advance. These are typical pros and cons of gambling on any horse race well before the event takes place.
Knowing the prevailing trends about the Juddmonte International Stakes can help you to make better betting decisions. Leading Flat trainers target this race each and every with some of their best middle-distance horses, so being aware of statistics should also assist you in choosing which to bet on. Here are some of the key stats relating to the race:
Three horses have won the Juddmonte International twice. Globetrotting mare Dahlia was the first with back-to-back wins in 1974 and 1975. Ezzoud replicated that in 1993 and 1994, and Halling matched it in 1995 and 1996.
Two giants of the weighing room are currently tied on five Juddmonte International Stakes wins each. The legendary Lester Piggott partnered Dahlia (1974 and 1975), Hawaiian Sound (1978), Commanche Run (1985) and Rodrigo de Triano (1992). Italian jockey Frankie Dettori matched “The Long Fellow” after riding Halling (1996), Singspiel (1997), Sakhee (2001), Sulamani (2005) and Authorized (2007) to victory.
Sir Michael Stoute has a joint-record six successes in the Juddmonte International, courtesy of Shardari (1986), Ezzoud (1994 and 1994), Singspiel (1997), Notnowcato (2006) and Ulysses (2017). Sharing the top trainer accolade is Aidan O’Brien thanks to wins with Giant’s Causeway (2000), Duke of Marmalade (2008), Rip van Winkle (2010), Declaration of War (2013), Australia (2014) and Japan (2019).
Susan Magnier and Coolmore partner Michael Tabor have part-owned all six of the O’Brien trained Juddmonte International Stakes winners.
Three-year-olds receive 7lb weight for age from their elders in this race, so it’s no surprise to find that four of the last six winners of the Juddmonte International come from that bracket. Taking a longer view, however, only five victors have been aged three since 2007. The race terms are very much in favour of younger horses, so bear that in mind.
As part of the Ebor Festival run at York every August during the summer holidays, you can be sure to find Juddmonte International Stakes betting offers and promotions in the build-up to this meeting. Check back later to see what bonuses, extra places and other incentives the bookies give you to bet online on this race and many more during the Ebor.
Meanwhile, check out our Horse Racing Betting Offers page.
Some very famous Flat thoroughbred racehorses have won the Juddmonte International Stakes, so here are the last 10 with race summaries for the past three renewals:
Japan just prevailed under Ryan Moore in a thrilling finish to the 2019 Juddmonte International to land odds of 5/1. Victory for the Galileo colt was a record equalling sixth in the race for trainer Aidan O’Brien. After tracking the leaders, Japan made headway approaching two out and was ridden to challenge before the final furlong. He came under a drive and went into the lead inside the last, then had a ding-dong battle with Sir Michael Stoute’s 11/10 favourite and fellow Royal Ascot winner Crystal Ocean all the way to the line.
Just a head separated Japan and the five-year-old runner-up from whom he got 7lb weight-for-age. That allowance only told in dying strides as, about 50 yards from home, Crystal Ocean got his head in front. The first two were a length clear of 2019 York Stakes scorer Elarqam at 8/1 for local trainer Mark Johnston with the third home denied a clear run entering the final furlong. This narrow victory saw Japan complete a hat-trick following wins in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes and Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris over in France.
Roaring Lion returned to York and followed-up on his ready Dante Stakes success earlier in the campaign with a commanding victory in the Juddmonte International. Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Qatar Racing’s retained jockey Oisin Murphy, the 3/1 second-favourite tracked the leaders and started making very smooth headway before three out. Within another furlong, Roaring Lion was close up and led after the two pole. He was soon clear and ran out a 3¼ lengths victor over Poet’s Word.
The runner-up, the 8/5 favourite, came into the race off the back of wins in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and the King George for Sir Michael Stoute. Poet’s Word was half-a-length in front of 50/1 outsider Thundering Blue who ran the race of his life. While Roaring Lion came into the Juddmonte International Stakes having not quite got The Derby trip at Epsom, but the drop down in distance suited him. Old rival Saxon Warrior, who beat him in the 2000 Guineas but Roaring Lion finished in front of during The Derby and the Eclipse, was a further 1¼ lengths behind in fourth.
Ulysses made trainer Sir Michael Stoute the most successful trainer in Juddmonte International history with a sixth success in the race. Sent off at 4/1 under Jim Crowley, the four-year-old tracked the leaders and improved three furlongs from home. By two out, Ulysses was close up and led inside the last where he kept on strongly for a two-length victory over 5/2 favourite Churchill who previously won both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas.
Godolphin’s Barney Roy, the winner of St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, was a further neck behind in third at 11/4 as the first three in the betting filled the places albeit not in market order. This victory for Ulysses was impressive as he was giving 7lb weight for age away to the next three home in behind him. The front trio pulled 4½ lengths of the fourth, Cliffs Of Moher. Ulysses replicated his win in the Eclipse here after chasing home Enable in the King George after Sandown.
There are two races over the Juddmonte International Stakes course and distance on the Knavesmire that act as trials for the race. Away from York, it is also worth looking at other Group 1 races over 10 furlongs held the same summer to give you an idea of contenders. Here are the winner of these key trials this year: