Race Favourites and Top Odds Leaders Ahead of the 2021 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes

The Group 1 action reaches its climax on the third day of the Ebor Festival this year when the 2021 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes takes centre stage heading into a manic weekend of action at York.

A selection of high-class horses aged two and up will compete for Friday’s highest honour and a grand prize of just under £250,000, as well as a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile Sprint in November.

It’s been 40 years or so since Sharpo became only the second horse to win the Nunthorpe Stakes three years running, and that record won’t be broken in 2021 as two-time defending champion Battaash sits out.

Battaash holds the record for the fastest-ever victory in this race after finishing the 1,000-metre course in 55.90 seconds when he first won in 2019, but his retirement rules the star out of besting that mark this year.

Horse.bet has taken a look at odds and which candidates the horse racing bookies are backing to challenge for top honours in his stead, as well as odds for the top 10 runners in line to compete.

Suesa (5/2)

Two names have edged in front of the competition a week out from the Nunthorpe Stakes, with Suesa one of those with the promise to make this an incredibly close contest on the day.

The filly endured a nightmarish UK debut when she finished eighth in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot, her first failure after winning each of her first four races at Chantilly, each Group 3 or lower.

Trainer Francois Rohaut will have been over the moon to see her and jockey William Buick get back in victory lane at the King George Qatar Stakes in July, however, as reported by the BBC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PTh7oCl_rU

Suesa’s supporters can only hope the conditions and other variables work out once more for the French import, as we’ve already witnessed what can happen when the stars don’t align.

Golden Pal (5/2)

According to horse betting experts, the other tied favourite heading into the third day at Ebor, Golden Pal will go in search of a place atop the podium after amassing a three-win streak across his last three outings.

American trainer Wesley A. Ward is on who will have a particular eye on the Nunthorpe as he looks to make a mark in the Breeders’ Cup back in his native United States. Sprint star Golden Pal won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint back in November, but it was another eight months before he returned at Saratoga last month with a confident win in the Quick Call Stakes:

https://twitter.com/TWEnclosure/status/1415981762073743361

The Group 3 competition present that day looked out of their depth, and Ward is backing this three-year-old to deliver on a lot of promise in his Group 1 debut.

Winter Power (6/1)

There’s a noticeable drop-off in price following the aforementioned pair, but if any trainer will feel confident of breaking up that party, it’s Tim Easterby.

And a lot of that confidence will come thanks to Winter Power, one of the more experienced three-year-olds in the running at the Nunthorpe and a victor at York twice already in 2021. There’s doubt, however, due to the fact neither of those wins were graded and the filly finished ninth out of 16 in her only previous Group 1 outing, hinting there may be greater prospects in play.

2021 Nunthorpe Stakes - Odds Leaders

Team                                     Odds

Golden Pal                              5/2

Suesa                                      5/2

Winter Power                         6/1

Dragon Symbol                      7/1

Glass Slippers                       10/1

Arecibo                                 14/1

Liberty Beach                        16/1

Moss Gill                               16/1

Dakota Gold                         16/1

Art Power                             16/1