Alflaila and Israr will line up for the Shadwell team on Wednesday when a field of quality and depth will contest the Juddmonte International Stakes at York.
The richest ever staging of the Group One showpiece of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival, now worth £1.25million, includes Betfred Derby first and second City Of Troy and Ambiente Friendly.
Also poised for a mouthwatering renewal of the extended mile and a quarter contest are previous Group One scorer Bluestocking (who carries the silks of the sponsor) and runaway winner of the King Edward VII Stakes, Calandagan.
Alflaila and Israr bring strong claims of their own, with the first-named already confirmed as a course and distance specialist.
The Owen Burrows-trained Alflaila has won the last two renewals of the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes – and he landed the 2022 running of the Group 3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes, over nine furlongs on the Knavesmire.
Richard Hills, racing advisor at Shadwell Racing, said: “He loves York as he’s proven before. He has definitely taken a step forward since the last race and Owen is really, really happy with him, so we couldn’t be more pleased. He sort of takes time to get into his stride, so of course York with the lovely long straight plays to his strengths. It’s a great course, but particularly for him.”
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Israr, is back up in class after a convincing three and a quarter length victory in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Hills said: “He’s in there on his own merits. Sheikha Hissa took the view that he deserves his chance. He loves fast ground; York will suit him really well and I think he’ll run a big race. He’s in good nick.”
Hills, who rode Nayef to victory wearing Shadwell’s famous blue and white silks in the 2002 renewal of the Juddmonte International Stakes, is anticipating a superb showdown.
He said: “It’s been brewing up to be a really good race and I think everybody’s turning up. A great track, the ground’s going to be beautiful – it’s going to be a fantastic race in my opinion.”
Shadwell is set for a clutch of other high-profile runners at York, including this year’s John Smith’s Cup winner Enfjaar. The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old is in the entry for Saturday’s Group Three Sky Bet Strensall Stakes – as is fellow Shadwell runner, Alyanaabi.
Hills said: “Enfjaar is in great nick, he loves York as he’s proven, so he’s got a massive chance. The three-year-old, Alyanaabi, ran a great race in the 2,000 Guineas and then the St James’s Palace. He wasn’t quite right last time (at Newbury). Weight for age this time of year, you never really know.”
Naqeeb is on course to appear on the same card in the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor itself, after finishing a narrowly-beaten second over an extended two miles at Newbury last month.
Hills said: “It’s a competitive race. You don’t want to be drawn on the outside – middle to inside and I think he’d have a really good each-way chance.”
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