The Ebor Festival comes to a close at York on Saturday afternoon, and once again Willie Mullins has managed to make himself one of the main talking points in one of Britain's biggest Flat handicaps.
The Sky Bet Ebor Handicap takes place at 3.35pm, with a maximum field of 22 runners going over just short of one mile and six furlongs. The ground is currently good to soft, and there is £500,000 in total prize money on offer. The winner collects £300,000.
Mullins sends two runners to York, but most of the attention has been on Love Me Tender, who only just made the final field and has since moved right towards the head of the betting.
At the time of writing, Betfred has Love Me Tender at around 4/1, ahead of Emit at 11/2 and Klassleader at 13/2.
Given Mullins' recent record in the race, it is easy to see why punters are interested.
Willie Mullins Has Made the Ebor His Own
Mullins may be better known for his success over jumps, but his record in the Ebor is becoming hard to ignore.
He first won the race with Sesenta in 2009, before Absurde gave him another success in 2023. Last year it was the turn of Ethical Diamond, ridden by William Buick, who beat Ascending and later went on to win the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar.
That means Mullins has won two of the last three Ebors.
There are also plenty of familiar signs with Love Me Tender.
He represents the H O S Syndicate, the same owners as Ethical Diamond, and Buick has once again been booked for the ride. If Love Me Tender wins, it would therefore be the same trainer, owner and jockey combination that landed the race 12 months ago.
That alone is enough to make him interesting.
Why Is Love Me Tender So Short in the Betting?
Love Me Tender is something of an unknown quantity in British racing.
The four-year-old was bought for €180,000 at Arqana last November after racing in Germany and France. He won twice in Germany during 2025 before finishing fourth in Listed company at Chantilly on his final start for his previous trainer.
Saturday will be his first start for Mullins and his first race for almost 300 days.
Usually that would raise quite a few doubts ahead of a race as competitive as the Ebor. However, Mullins has shown often enough that he can have a horse ready for a major target after a long break.
There could also be room for improvement from his current official rating of 96, particularly now that he is stepping up significantly in distance. He carries 8st 12lb, with Buick taking the ride.
Patrick Mullins has said the stable deliberately took the chance that Love Me Tender would make the field without running beforehand and pushing up his handicap mark. He has also said the horse has done plenty of work at home and shown good ability.
That explains much of the market interest.
The obvious question is stamina. Love Me Tender has never raced anywhere near this far, so nobody can say with certainty that the Ebor distance will suit him.
At 4/1 in a 22-runner handicap, that is something punters will have to take into account.
Don't Forget Mullins' Other Runner
The attention on Love Me Tender also means Mr Hollywood could go slightly under the radar.
He carries 9st 7lb and will be ridden by Saffie Osborne. Earlier this season he finished third in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot before winning over hurdles at Galway.
Patrick Mullins has pointed out that Mr Hollywood has followed a similar path to Absurde, who also prepared for his Ebor success with a run at Galway.
At around 10/1 to 12/1, depending on the bookmaker, he could end up being the better value of the Mullins pair.
Who Are the Main Ebor Rivals?
This is certainly not a two-horse stable story.
Emit, trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, is close to the top of the market. He finished forth in the Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot. O'Brien has said his horse has had a good preparation and should be suited by York.
Klassleader is another obvious contender. William Haggas' four-year-old won at York earlier in the season before disappointing at Newmarket last time. Haggas believes the softer ground will help, and Tom Marquand takes the ride.
Then there is Hopewell Rock, who won the Summer Handicap at Goodwood and comes into the Ebor in good form.
Tarriance is also interesting for Andrew Balding. He won last year's Melrose at York and has Colin Keane aboard. He was fourth at Goodwood last time, but returning to York may suit him.
Alan King's Daiquiri Bay cannot be ignored either after winning his last two races. He carries 9st 7lb and will be partnered by Rossa Ryan.
Opportunity, Square Necker, Beylerbeyi and last year's runner-up Ascending add even more depth to the field.
Can Love Me Tender Win the 2026 Ebor?
There is a lot to like about Love Me Tender, but there is also a fair amount that has to be taken on trust.
He has not raced for almost ten months, he is making his first start for Mullins and he has never run over this distance.
On the other hand, he could be well treated from a mark of 96, he has William Buick aboard and he comes from a stable that has become very good at preparing horses for this exact race.
The fact that Mullins and the H O S Syndicate have already used almost the same plan successfully makes it even harder to dismiss him.
At around 4/1, the market has already found him, so there is no longer much of a secret about the horse.
The question now is whether Love Me Tender can turn all that market confidence into another Ebor win for Willie Mullins.
With 22 runners and several well-handicapped rivals in opposition, he will have to earn it. But if Love Me Tender can justify all that support at York, there could be a little less conversation and a lot more celebration in the Mullins camp on Saturday afternoon.
BETFRED
