Yorkshire Cup Odds: Irish challengers seeking stayers' prize

Seven runners will go to post for Friday's Yorkshire Cup, which features a fascinating battle between Ireland's top Flat and Jumps trainers.

Tower Of London will lead the charge for Aidan O'Brien, while Vauban represents the top dual-purpose stable of Willie Mullins in the £180,000 staying handicap.

The Group 2 race over 1m 6f was won by 14/1 shot Giavellotto 12 months ago and the Newmarket-based challenger is set to attempt to retain his crown in Friday's feature race.

Yorkshire Cup Odds

(Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation)

Tower Of London

The Yorkshire Cup has not generally been a target for Irish trainers, with the Newmarket stables of Sir Michael Stoute and John and Thady Gosden having most success in the race over the last decade. 

The four-year-old colt by Galileo won the extremely valuable Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over two miles at Meydan in March following another big-money success in the Group 3 Red Sea Turf Handicap at Riyadh the previous month over a one furlong shorter trip.

Tower of London had last year's Yorkshire Cup hero Giavellotto behind him in both of those races and has gone from strength to strength after finishing fourth over 14 furlongs in last season's Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster.

Vauban

Vauban has been a dual-purpose star for Willie Mullins and has a chance to add a Yorkshire Cup success to his victories at the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot.

The six-year-old won the 2022 Triumph Hurdle but also the Copper Horse Handicap over the same trip as this race at Ascot last summer. 

He has not been out since being the beaten favourite in the Melbourne Cup in November but should be a contender for all the top-class staying events this season.

Hamish

The eight-year-old Motivator gelding was unbeaten in 2023, winning four times at Group 3 level. One of those successes was over this course and distance in the John Smith's Silver Cup in July.

Hamish opened his 2024 campaign with a fifth successive Group 3 win in the Surprise Stakes at Newbury last month over 12 furlongs, beating Al Qareem by a neck.

Al Qareem

The five-year-old Awtaad gelding won a 12-furlong York handicap off a mark of 89 as a three-year-old but is now rated 112.

He won a Group 2 race at Longchamp in 2022 and the Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot last October. He has been a close second to Hamish in his last two outings but has not tackled a distance as demanding as this in his last four outings.

Giavellotto

He stayed on well to beat Eldar Eldarov and Broome in last year's race and has put up some solid performances without getting his head in front in four subsequent outings.

The son of Mastercraftsman was a creditable third in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup over two miles at this course last August and finished close up behind Tower Of London in those big-money winter events at Meydan and Riyadh.

Gregory

The Newmarket stable of John and Thady Gosden are no strangers to success in this race. John Gosden won his first Yorkshire Cup with Duncan in 2011, and then landed the prize three times with the great Stradivarius, the last of which with his son Thady added to the licence in 2022.

The Golden Horn colt has had only five races in his career, but has already made his mark with a 2023 Royal Ascot victory in the Queen's Vase over this trip in only his third outing.

He finished behind Continuous in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur at York and the Group 1 St Leger and is set to tackle this test before a potential tilt at the Ascot Gold Cup.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.