Setting the Scene: A Proper Summer Showpiece

Now look, I'll be straight with you — I'm a jumps man at heart, and when the flat season rolls around in the summer heat I'm usually found staring wistfully at a photo of Cheltenham in February. But even a dyed-in-the-wool National Hunt devotee can appreciate a cracking Listed fillies' sprint, and the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Eternal Stakes at Beverley on Wednesday, 24th June is shaping up to be a proper little contest.

Worth £70,000 to the winner and restricted to three-year-old fillies over 6 furlongs 195 yards, this is one of those races that can genuinely launch a filly's season — or expose a few overrated sorts who've been flattered by softer company. We've got ten declared, a mix of ratings from 77 to 100, and a Good to Firm surface that's going to separate the quick from the merely decent. Pull up a stool and let's get into it. The full Beverley racecard is well worth a look if you want the full picture.

The Going, The Draw, and Why Beverley Is No Joke

First things first — Good to Firm at Beverley in late June is absolutely no surprise, but it matters enormously here. This is a track with a stiff uphill finish that finds out any filly who isn't genuinely travelling well turning in. On fast ground, you want a horse that moves fluently, doesn't bash the turf too hard, and has the engine to sustain a run up that rise. Stamina for the trip matters more than people think at 6f 195y — it's not a zip-and-done five-furlong blast.

As for the draw, Beverley's straight course does carry a bias, and historically low-to-middle draws have an edge in larger fields when the ground is quick. With ten runners, draws one through five are where you'd rather be, though it's not a death sentence to be out wide. Golden Palace in stall one and Ellusive Butterfly in stall three are nicely positioned on paper. Figjam out in stall ten will need a strong pace to come home from the wide draw, and Assaranca in nine faces a similar challenge.

Contender-by-Contender: The Ones That Matter

Ellusive Butterfly (K. R. Burke / Clifford Lee) — Rating 100

She's the top-rated filly in the field and Karl Burke has been quietly assembling a lovely book of three-year-old fillies this season. A distance winner, she clearly handles the 6f 195y trip, and Burke rarely runs one in a race like this without intent. Clifford Lee is a savvy operator around Beverley — he knows this track inside out and that's worth a length before the stalls open. At a rating of 100, she's giving weight to almost every rival here, and that 9st 5lb is the heaviest burden in the field. If she's as good as her mark suggests, she wins. But I'll tell you this — top weight in a Listed sprint on fast ground is never a gimme, and Burke's fillies can be a touch inconsistent when asked to dominate. She's the one to beat, but she's not a lay-down.

Golden Palace (Richard & Peter Fahey / Barry McHugh) — Rating 99

Only a pound below Ellusive Butterfly in the ratings, and drawn in stall one which is a lovely position. The Fahey yard — Richard and Peter running a tight ship up in Malton — have been in cracking form, and when they pitch up at a track like Beverley with a filly rated 99, you sit up and take notice. No form flags listed for course or distance wins, which gives me a tiny flicker of pause, but the rating says she's a high-class filly. Barry McHugh is an underrated rider who doesn't get enough credit in these previews, and he'll use that rail draw to full advantage. This is my main danger to the favourite.

Figjam (Katie Scott / Jason Hart) — Rating 93

Trained by the increasingly impressive Katie Scott, Figjam carries a rating of 93 and is drawn widest of all in stall ten. No distance winner flag, which is interesting over this unique Beverley trip. Scott is a trainer on the up, no question about it, and Jason Hart is a quality jockey who won't panic out wide. But that draw is a real inconvenience on what promises to be quick ground, and without a confirmed distance win to her name, there's a question mark over whether she truly stays this trip. Interesting each-way possibility if the market drifts.

Stimulative Trip (David Menuisier / Paul Mulrennan) — Rating 89

David Menuisier is a trainer I have a lot of time for — meticulous, patient, and he doesn't run horses for the good of his health. Stimulative Trip is a distance winner, which immediately ticks a big box for this trip, and Paul Mulrennan is as reliable a rider as you'll find in the north. From stall six, she's in a workable position. At 89, she's got weight concessions to receive from the top two, and if Menuisier has her primed — and he usually does when he travels — she could be the value play at a decent price.

Classic Cuvee (Roger Varian / Ray Dawson) — Rating 87

Roger Varian's runners always command respect, and Classic Cuvee is a distance winner drawn in stall seven. The notable thing here is the blinkers — she's the only filly in the field wearing headgear, and when Varian slaps the B on, it usually means he wants a sharper performance. Ray Dawson is a capable handler of headgear horses who can be keen. Worth including in multiples. The blinkers are a flag that Varian wants improvement, and on this ground, over this trip, she could outrun her 87 rating.

Albaydaa (William Haggas / Tom Marquand) — Rating 86

Now here's an interesting one. Rated 86, she's not the highest in the field, but she's a course and distance winner — and that combination at Beverley is gold dust. William Haggas doesn't send horses to Beverley for the scenery, and Tom Marquand is as good as it gets in the saddle. She's proven she can handle this unique track and this exact trip. On Good to Firm, her previous course form gives her a legitimate edge. Don't let the rating fool you — Haggas fillies often run well above their mark when the conditions suit.

Value Picks and Dangers Worth Noting

A quick word on the rest of the field before I give you my selection:

  • Applesandpears (Edward Bethell / Daniel Tudhope, Rating 84) — Bethell is a trainer who knows his Beverley, and Tudhope is a northern circuit specialist. Distance winner. Could outrun a big price.
  • Just A Girl (Charlie Johnston / Connor Beasley, Rating 83) — Johnston sends plenty to Beverley and Beasley knows the track. No distance win flag is the concern.
  • Assaranca (Richard Hannon / P. J. McDonald, Rating 79) — Wide draw and the lowest-rated distance winner in the field. Hard to fancy at this level.
  • Confide In Me (Jack Jones / Callum Rodriguez, Rating 77) — Lowest-rated runner, though a distance winner. Big ask at Listed level.

Tom's Tip: My Selection for the Eternal Stakes

Right, here's where I put my money where my mouth is. Ellusive Butterfly is the logical favourite and she may well win, but I'm not paying a short price for a top-weight filly who has to give lumps of weight to proven course and distance winners. I'm swerving her at the head of the market.

My selection is Albaydaa. A course and distance winner trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand — that combination at a track like Beverley is not to be dismissed. She knows how to handle that stiff uphill finish, she's won at this exact trip, and Good to Firm is her ground. At a rating of 86, she'll be available at a decent price, and Haggas fillies in Listed company frequently outperform their official mark when the conditions align. If she goes off at 8/1 or bigger, I'm filling my boots.

Each-way alternative: Stimulative Trip for Menuisier — a distance winner with a smart trainer and a reliable jockey, she could be the surprise package at a juicy price.

Whatever happens, this is a cracking little race on a lovely summer's evening at one of Yorkshire's most underrated tracks. Get yourself on the Beverley racecard and enjoy it. Good luck — you'll need it, same as always.

Who is the favourite for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Eternal Stakes 2026?

Ellusive Butterfly, trained by K. R. Burke and ridden by Clifford Lee, is expected to go off as favourite on the back of her top rating of 100 in the field. She's the highest-rated filly declared and carries top weight of 9st 5lb. However, at a price, Tom fancies Albaydaa to outrun her odds as a proven course and distance winner for the Haggas yard.

Does the draw matter at Beverley over 6f 195y?

Yes, draw bias at Beverley is a real factor, particularly on Good to Firm ground. Low-to-middle draws tend to hold an advantage in double-figure fields on the straight course, with the uphill finish rewarding horses that are well positioned early. Golden Palace (stall 1) and Ellusive Butterfly (stall 3) are ideally drawn, while Figjam (stall 10) and Assaranca (stall 9) face an uphill battle from wide berths — no pun intended.

Who are the key trainers to watch in the Eternal Stakes 2026?

William Haggas (Albaydaa), K. R. Burke (Ellusive Butterfly), and Richard & Peter Fahey (Golden Palace) are the standout training operations in this field. Haggas in particular has an excellent record with fillies in Listed company, while Burke's operation has been firing on all cylinders with three-year-old fillies this season. David Menuisier (Stimulative Trip) is also a trainer worth following when he travels north with a filly in form.