Scriptwriter Horse Plot from Milton Harris for Ebor & Melbourne Cup

Sports Lens

17 July 2023

Trainer Milton Harris has the Ebor Handicap on the agenda for Scriptwriter, a horse with some talent across both codes of British racing, en route to the Melbourne Cup after a fantastic effort at the weights and in defeat in the John Smith’s Silver Cup on Saturday.

It looked as if Scriptwriter was going to win the Group 3 contest over the Ebor course and distance at York races over the weekend when he led approaching the final furlong, but was in the end overtaken by odds-on favourite Hamish.

Hamish shows his class in the John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes with the seven-year-old finding gamely for @TomMarquand inside the final furlong and overcomes the gallant Scriptwriter to score for trainer @WilliamHaggas �� pic.twitter.com/LKIzSCbtOy
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) July 15, 2023

Harris is ambitiously hoping to send Scriptwriter, a horse by Flat sire Churchill who landed a Grade 2 Triumph Hurdle Trial last autumn, Down Under for the Melbourne Cup. Prior to that, however, connections target a strong performance in the Ebor Handicap at York in just over a month’s time.

Automatic Melbourne Cup Entry at Stake for Ebor Victor

The Ebor winner will be given automatic entry for the Melbourne Cup, making it the first ever international win-and-you-are-in contest for the race that stops a nation. Scriptwriter proved his versatility by scoring on the All-Weather over the winter after his Cheltenham hurdles success.

After being highly tried in races like the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle around Kempton Park and Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National Festival, he returned to the Flat this summer with a run at Royal Ascot in the Copper Horse Handicap. Scriptwriter was far from disgraced when giving weight to handicap blot Vauban there and finishing down the field.

He clearly came on for the run as he was denied by just a head in Group company, running a good Ebor trial in the process. Ex-Aidan O’Brien trained horse Scriptwriter eyes to go one better on the Knavesmire in Europe’s richest staying Flat handicap. He’s available at a general 20/1 with the leading bookies in the UK to do just that.

Milton Harris Gives Scriptwriter Update

“In the immediate aftermath I was annoyed, if that’s the right word, not with anybody but I think if he’d have challenged later he would’ve won,” Harris said of his dual-purpose horse Scriptwriter. “He doesn’t do a tap when he gets to the front.

“The jockey [Clifford Lee], to be fair to him, has given him a good ride, but if you look 50 yards after the line we’re back in front. The plan is the Ebor. He’s going to go up 6lb or 8lb, maybe 9lb, for Saturday and he can run off his old mark at York.

“There’s a small chance we might supplement him for the Goodwood Cup, but I we think the Ebor has his name written all over it. We’ll be a few pounds well-in and I’ll stick a small pair of cheekpieces on him to help him concentrate. We should be competitive.”

Scriptwriter Horse of a Lifetime Potentially for New Owners

“He was bought by some enthusiastic Australian owners and the plan was always to go to Australia and, on Saturday’s running who’s to say we shouldn’t have a crack at the Melbourne Cup?” Harris continued.

“If you look at Ascot, he was drawn 15 of 16, and David Egan got off of him and said, ‘If I’d have had a better draw I’d have placed’. Vauban was mightily impressive that day, but he had a good draw.

“He is supposedly going for the Melbourne Cup. Before Saturday we were 14lb better off with Vauban going forward, and if he’s among the favourites for the Melbourne Cup then we should be competitive.

“The owners would love a runner in the Cup and it’s not a place I’ve ever been before. If you don’t dream, you’re going nowhere, so we’ve got to dream – though it might end up a nightmare!”

Scriptwriter has earned a first quote of 50/1 from leading horse racing betting site bet365 for the Melbourne Cup off the back of his York second. Should he deliver on his return to the Knavesmire, then that status as a major outsider will have vanished along with the price.