ELIDOR and Harlequeen are set to spearhead the Mick Channon team for York’s Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival next week.

But Time Test, one of the leading contenders for the Juddmonte International, has been pulled out by trainer Roger Charlton.

Elidor, owned by Jon and Julia Aisbitt, will contest the Betfred Ebor - Europe’s richest flat handicap and the showpiece event of the four day meeting - which starts in just six days' time.

Harlequeen is set to go in the £340,000 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, the feature race on Ladies Day, Thursday August 18.

Michael Channon Jnr, son and assistant to trainer Mick, said: “The Ebor is the plan for Elidor and he has been perfect since Goodwood. We haven’t done much with him – just kept him happy and fresh.

“He has a four pound penalty for his Goodwood win and obviously a fair bit of weight on his back. That said, he is a class horse – he was beaten just a length by Dartmouth in the Ormond Stakes.

“After that run at Chester he ran poorly twice and we gave him a thorough MOT. Nothing came to light and he bounced back at Goodwood. If the same Elidor as that turns up a York, he’s in with a chance.”

Elidor finished third in the 2014 renewal of the Ebor behind Mutual Regard and is available with the sponsor at a starting price of 14/1.

The son of Cape Cross has been a star for the West Ilsley-based trainer, winning the 2013 renewal of the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot and, just last month, returning to form with a gutsy win in the £100,000 Summer Handicap at Goodwood.

Elidor has also proven himself at Pattern race level and finished just a length behind subsequent Hardwicke Stakes winner Dartmouth in the Group 3 Ormond Stakes at Chester.

The Ebor, run over a mile and six furlongs, takes place on Saturday August 20 with a prize fund of £280,000.

Harlequeen, meanwhile, finished fourth in the Tattersalls Musidora on the Knavesmire in May. The daughter of Canford Cliffs was also placed in both the Investec and Darley Irish Oaks before a narrow defeat in Group 3 company at Cork.

She seems none the worse for that effort and Channon Jnr is relishing the prospect of her stepping up to the top level again.

“Harlequeen is a very good filly – she could travel with anything and has a very high cruising speed," he said.

“We were disappointed that she couldn’t win at Cork – there is no such thing as an easy Group race but having been placed in both Oaks we were hopeful that she would go there and win.

“She didn’t but she has returned in great shape and is worthy of her place in the line up next week. She has proved that already. She is versatile regarding ground and the track should suit.”

On the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, Channon Jnr added: “It’s a great meeting – one of the highlight’s of the year and somewhere everyone wants a winner.”

Bookmakers BoyleSports, meanwhile, reported strong support yesterday for Aidan O’Brien’s Highland Reel in the Juddmonte following news that Roger Charlton’s Time Test would miss the race.

Owned by race sponsor Khalid Abdullah, Time Test won the York Stakes over the same course and distance last month but Charlton said: "The Juddmonte is naturally a proper Group 1 race with some very good horses in it. There's no point running in a race like that if your gut feeling tells you the horse isn't 100 per cent - so we decided to scratch."

Time Test had been 4-1 second-favourite on many lists for the International along with Hawkbill to whom he was third in the Eclipse.

Highland Reel's odds have shortened from 10/1 to 9/2. Postponed still heads the betting at 11/10.

Liam Glynn, BoyleSports’ spokesperson said: “We have seen sustained support for Highland Reel throughout Wednesday morning. Postponed remains the warm favourite at 11/10 but, with Aidan O’Brien having won the race on five occasions, most recently with Australia back in 2014, we are taking no chances as the plunge on Highland Reel now looks as though that the son of Galileo is primed for next week’s showpiece at the Ebor meeting, as he bids to follow up on his King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes win.”

The festival takes place between August 17-20 inclusive.