The 2025 edition of the York Ebor Festival rolls onto the Knavesmire on Wednesday, 20th August. As ever, the four-day feast begins in style, with a seven-race card lit up by one of the classiest contests held anywhere in the world.
Since making its debut in 1972, the Juddmonte International has grown to become a cornerstone of the summertime racing scene. A Group 1 event held over 1m2½f of York’s left-handed course, the race offers £1.25 million in total prize money and considerable prestige. A glance at the 21st roll of honour reveals the names of such talents as Giant’s Causeway, Sea The Stars, Frankel, Australia, Baeed, and most recently, City Of Troy.
That’s quite the cast of stars, but who will join them in 2025? Britain, Ireland, and France are all set to send middle-distance talents into battle. However, one week before the big race, the sole Japanese challenger is attracting significant market support. Available at 20/1 on 26th July, the Shogo Yusoda-trained Danon Decile is now 10/3 just days before the event.
Danon Decile: A Star at Home and Abroad
The name Danon Decile may be unfamiliar to British racing fans – after all, the colt has yet to race in Europe, let alone the UK. However, having displayed his considerable talents in his homeland and on the big stage at Meydan, the four-year-old is among the biggest names on the Japanese racing scene.
Sired by the Japanese St Leger and Japan Cup champ, Epiphaneia, and out of the dam Top Decile, who twice finished second in Grade 1 company, Danon Decile is bred to make his presence felt at the highest level. Now into his third year at the track, he has delivered on that pedigree potential – winning twice at the highest level and amassing just under £6 million in prize money.
Achieving a breakout success in the 2024 Japanese Derby, he added the Grade 2 American Jockey Club Cup at Nakayama on his seasonal return in January. Having conquered his domestic rivals, his next assignment took him to Meydan for the Dubai Sheema Classic. Lining up in a field containing King George winner Calandagan and Godolphin legend Rebel’s Romance, the mount of Keita Tosaki was only fourth in the betting as the runners entered the stalls. Less than two-and-a-half minutes later, Japan had a new international superstar on their hands as Danon Decile swept past the leaders for a comfortable triumph by just over a length.
Given Calandagan’s subsequent exploits, the Dubai Sheema Classic form looks rock solid – prompting connections to head to York for the next stop on the Danon Decile global tour.
Every Chance in a Red-Hot Renewal
Recent history shows that Japanese runners merit the utmost respect wherever they show up. Considering the significant shortening of his odds, punters certainly aren’t underestimating Danon Decile ahead of his Juddmonte International assignment. However, he will likely need to be at his very best to see off a field of talented rivals, expected to include:
- Delacroix – Represents the most successful trainer in the history of the Juddmonte International, Aidan O’Brien. Delacroix flopped in the Derby but is unbeaten in three outings over 1m2f and put in a sensational performance to claim the Coral-Eclipse last time out
- Ombudsman – Godolphin star representing the John & Thady Gosden team, who has yet to finish outside the first two in seven career outings. Lost out by a neck to Delacroix at Sandown but put in one of the most impressive displays of Royal Ascot 2025 to land the Prince of Wales’s Stakes
- See The Fire – Andrew Balding filly who finished third behind Ombudsman at Ascot and has yet to win in Group 1 company. However, the daughter of Sea The Stars shines brightest at York, with two previous outings on the Knavesmire producing two wins by a combined total of almost 14 lengths
- Daryz – Hailing from the yard of French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, Daryz is one of only two runners who bring an unbeaten record to the table. Also sired by Sea The Stars, he has posted four consecutive wins at around this trip, and we may not have seen the best of him yet
The Third Name on an Exclusive List
In recent years, horses hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun have made a significant impact on the global stage, with huge wins in the USA, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The UK has also fallen under the Japanese spell, but not very often. Ahead of the 2025 Ebor Festival, only two horses have travelled from the far east to grab gold in a Group 1 event:
2000 July Cup: Agnes World
The 1999 Prix de l’Abbaye champ narrowly missed out in the 2000 King’s Stand Stakes, when second to Nuclear Debate. However, he made no mistake in the July Cup, when getting up late under Yutaka Take to score by a short head.
History at @NewmarketRace! 😮
🇯🇵 Agnes World landed a thrilling July Cup in 2000 under Yutaka Take to become the first Japanese-trained runner to land a Group 1 prize in Britain.
武豊 | 競馬 | @netkeiba | #RTVFlashback pic.twitter.com/Bs0bKaTwPC
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 13, 2023
2019 Nassau Stakes: Deidre
This Mitsuru Hashida mare ran in Japan, UAE, Britain, Bahrain, Ireland, and France during a lucrative globetrotting career. The first of five British appearances came in the 2019 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, where she managed only sixth of eight behind Crystal Ocean. Sticking to Group 1 level but switching to fillies-only company, she fared much better in the Nassau Stakes. Patiently ridden by Oisin Murphy, the daughter of Harbinger came with a late charge up the far rail to score by a widening one-and-a-half lengths.
Can Danon Decile become the third Japanese-trained winner of a British Group 1? However he gets on, his presence adds significantly to what promises to be a cracking edition of one of the most anticipated races of the year.