The 2026 York Ebor Festival returns to the British horse racing calendar, with the Juddmonte International Day among one of the main days of racing.

It is the first day of the festival, scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, with the day’s racing beginning at 22:50 AEST.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Ombudsman to win

Value bet: Constitution River each-way

Long shot: Each-Way on Zaydann

Betting Preview

The Juddmonte International Day has seven races scheduled, with the feature race being the 2026 Juddmonte International Stakes (00:35 AEST, Thursday).

The Group 1 race is one of the main races of the entire Ebor Festival, and is known for pitching top three-year-olds against elite older horses.

It is contested over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards (2,063 metres) and has been held since 1972.

The winner will receive AU$1.6 million, with almost AU$3 million available across the entire prize pot for the race.

The 2025 Juddmonte International Stakes was won by Ombudsman, ridden by William Buick for trainer John & Thady Gosden and owner Godolphin.

He beat Delacroix by 3.5 lengths at York on August 20. He is listed in this year’s race to compete once again with the same team.

Betting Markets to Watch

Based on his performance in the race last year, and his three wins this season, Ombudsman has been made the heavy favourite to retain the crown he won.

He has the strongest proven 10-furlong Group 1 form in the field, and produced a career-best performance at Royal Ascot this season.

In the odds, Constitution River is considered the most likely to challenge him. The Coral Eclipse winner, trained by Aiden O’brien, will receive 7lbs as a three-year-old, which could give him a slight advantage here.

The main caveat, though, is the fact that he has never raced at York.

He arguably hasn’t raced against the calibre of opponent that Ombudsman has faced over his career, either. He has finished ahead of 17 Group 1 winners, whereas Constitution River has beaten only one.

In the Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2 at 00:00 AEST, Thursday), Maltese Cross is considered the opening favourite.

He has won three of four starts this season, including the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, but will carry a 5lbs penalty for that French Group 1 success.

Our Prediction

Check our horse racing betting guide for the latest odds at Sportsbet.

Our prediction is for Ombudsman to be the likely winner of the 2026 Juddmonte International Stakes.

We think he is the horse to beat as he has the form and experience needed to win it.

Our value bet is Constitution River to place, highlighting his potential value in the each-way market.

A long shot in the same race is Zaydann in the each-way .The four-year-old has strong form heading into this race, having won each of his last five races, including two this season.

The biggest question, though, is whether he can step up against quality opposition. But it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him placed here.