Win, lose or draw in the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap at York on Saturday, Ed Dunlop has confirmed that one-time Derby hope John Leeper will race again next season.
The four-year-old won two of his first three career starts and was an 8/1 chance for last year’s Epsom Classic, but finished down the field behind Adayar.
While he has failed to win in nine subsequent starts, the Newmarket handler has not lost faith in this son of Frankel, who is named after his late father, Classic-winning trainer John Leeper Dunlop.
Though admitting he has been “frustrating”, Dunlop is adamant his staying-on run behind subsequent Group One scorer Rebel’s Romance in the mile-and-a-half Queen’s Plate at Goodwood was the ideal prep for the richest handicap in Europe.
John Leeper, who will be ridden by Adam Kirby, will shoulder 9st 9lb in a race where three of the last four winners successfully carried over 9st 5lb to victory.