Kicking off at Pontefract on Friday, July 19, the week was quickly into full swing with music nights, family days, evening racing and Group races making up some of the fixtures over the nine day racing tour of the county.

Over 75,000 racegoers took the opportunity to visit eight of Yorkshire’s nine racecourses, along with a tour of Jack Berry House, which was open to the public on the one day of the week when there are no fixtures.

Partnering with the Matt Hampson Foundation, Over £8,700 was raised through Sky Bet’s Paddock and Chips initiative, where jockeys earnt money by scoring goals in a football competition before racing began and through exit collections as racegoers departed.

Graham Lee, who suffered life changing injuries in a fall in November, is spending two week blocks each month at the Leicestershire based organisation, where he has the benefit of intensive physio as he continues his rehabilitation programme.  In addition, a prize draw to win a shoe from the 2023 Group 1 winning sprinters Shaquille, Highfield Princess, Art Power and Regional is still active online through Crowdfunder and will contribute to the fundraising.

Charlotte Russell, General Manager of Go Racing In Yorkshire said,

“We had a great week of racing.  The festival encompasses everything that racing has to offer in Yorkshire and is the perfect showcase for our great sport.  There was a lovely, relaxed atmosphere around the courses as racegoers young and old enjoyed the sport on offer and the extra additions put on by the racecourses.”

“We’re very grateful to Sky Bet for their continued support of the Summer Festival and delighted with the amount raised for the Matt Hampson Foundation.”

For the first time there was a tie in the Best Turned Out competition, where the yards of both Adrian Keatley and Gemma Tutty won three best turned out awards in the Sky Bet sponsored races throughout the week.  The staff will enjoy a cash bonus and a pizza party to celebrate their achievements.

Oisin Orr landed the Sky Bet leading jockey title for the second time in a row and David O’Meara took the Goldsborough Hall leading trainer of the week award.

A charity race for stable staff was held at Thirsk on Friday, July 26, in conjunction with the Injured Jockeys Fund who were also raising money for Graham Lee and this was won by John Greaves who works for John and Sean Quinn.  Johnny also won the Sky Bet sponsored moment of the week for this achievement.