THE Sky Bet Ebor weights came out this the week and it’s a different type of race to the Ebors that have gone before. The million-pound thing is a game-changer.

The classy horses are entered. Irish Derby winner Latrobe and Doncaster Cup winner Thomas Hobson and Princess of Wales’s Stakes winner Communique. Ten years ago, the race was worth £130,851 to the winner, and the Willie Mullins-trained Sesenta won it under the 5lb-claiming Gary Carroll. Sesenta raced off a handicap rating of 94. Top-weight in that race was Warringah off 105. Last year, when it was a £500,000 race, the top-weight was Weekender (112), so 7lbs higher than Warringah’s rating 10 years ago. Bottom-weight was Mountain Bell, who raced off 102. There was only 10lbs between top-weight and bottom-weight, and Sesenta’s mark of 94 was 8lbs shy of what was required to get in. This year, the highest-rated entry is Communique, who has a rating of 118, so 6lbs higher than last year’s top-weight. A rating of 105 may be just about high enough to get you into the race.