With record prize money of over £4.4 million, the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival looks set to attract the very best of thoroughbreds from Britain, Ireland, continental Europe and the USA to the Knavesmire for York’s flagship meeting, over four spectacular days of racing action from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 August.
The stellar racing action forms the centre-piece of a festival brimming with award winning hospitality, high summer fashion and all that contributes to the hoped-for fabulous atmosphere of the flagship meeting at Britain’s Racecourse of the Year.
The increase in prize money of £320,000 is spread over twenty-two of the twenty-five races; with the feature contest on each of the days receiving a boost, as well as the prize money threshold for all races rising again, to £70,000. It marks another step in York’s support for its flagship race programme which has seen prize money increase by 50% over the last five years.
Britain’s highest rated race (based on three year average ratings) the Group 1 Juddmonte International, will become the richest race ever run at York, with £1,000,000 on offer to the horse seeking to follow such superstars as Frankel or Sea the Stars into the Winner’s Enclosure on the opening day. A mouth-watering race is in prospect with a host of Group 1 names considering a tilt at York’s blue riband, including the winner of the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas (Churchill), St James’s Palace hero (Barney Roy), the victor in the Coral-Eclipse (Ulysses) and Breeders’ Cup Turf champion, Highland Reel.
The Darley Yorkshire Oaks, ranked last year as Europe’s highest rated contest for fillies and mares, and the Coolmore Nunthorpe, the best five furlong sprint in the world, will both see increases, to reach their richest ever renewals, at £350,000. The star European filly of the season and dual English and Irish Oaks winner, Enable, is hoping to add the Darley Yorkshire Oaks to her glittering CV on Thursday. The best sprinter in the US, Lady Aurelia, looks to take on the best of the Europeans including Goodwood winner, Battaash.
The Sky Bet Lowther increases by £25,000 to £225,000 the same level as the Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack making them Britain’s richest Group 2s for juvenile fillies and colts, respectively.
Completing the feature race set is Saturday’s Betfred Ebor, as Europe’s richest flat handicap, at £285,000. York’s oldest and most famous race is set to be as fiercely contested as ever with the winner often booking their flight to the Emirates Melbourne Cup in November.
The Sky Bet City of York Stakes which will now offer £175,000 to the field contesting this seven furlong race on Friday 25 August, retaining it as Britain’s richest Group 3 contest for older horses. Alongside a race programme that includes Britain’s richest maiden (British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes), richest nursery (Betway Stakes – 6f handicap on Wednesday) and richest apprentice (Betfred Apprentice Stakes – 5f handicap finale) contests in Britain, each at £70,000.
From sprinters to stayers on Friday, with the Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup, over the two miles, joining the Group One races as the fourth contest to be part of the British Champions Series, which culminates at the richest day of racing in this country, Qipco British Champions Day on Saturday 21 October. The support of Qipco is clear on all four days; with the BCS racemakers in attendance to help guide less experienced visitors around the racecourse and share their knowledge.
On all four days, stand-side racegoers will be able to watch and participate in the Ebor Fashion Lawn without the need to book in advance. The eye-catching, flower-clad catwalk, set in the picturesque surroundings in front of the Edwardian Weighing Room, will offer a touch of “modern vintage”. A panel of judges will cast an expert eye over the preparations and attire before them, ready to decide the winner on each day of the “Best Dressed Racegoer”. As well as award prizes like £500 gift vouchers from French Connection, or a personal shopping experience with York based, Cuffs & Co, for “Best Hat, Best Dressed Gent, Best Dressed Child and Best Dressed Couple”. The winner on Ladies Day (Thursday 24 August) will also be crowned ‘Best Dressed Festival Racegoer’, and will win a short break for two to the Marriott Hotel for the Dubai World Cup.
Expect to see a host of world-class jockeys competing for top honours at York – the field at York is currently led by David Allan, a man who enjoyed a profitable July across several Yorkshire tracks. In a fitting tribute to popular racing journalist, Ray Gilpin, who passed away in 2015, a special prize will be offered by Sky Bet, for the most successful rider over the twenty-five races of the Ebor Festival.
Amongst the trainers, Skipton-born William Haggas is already enjoying a remarkable season on the Knavesmire, with an impressive eleven winners seeing him sit proud at the top of the Charles Clinkard backed leaderboard.
The global nature of the top quality competition is reflected with the three Group Ones all being part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and the Juddmonte International and Darley Yorkshire Oaks attracting huge bonuses for the winner to go to race in Japan. York will welcome representatives of international racing from America, Japan, Europe, the Middle East and Australia in a meeting that continues to grow global profile and reach.
There is horsepower of a different nature on display on the Edwardian Weighing Room Lawn as the latest Maserati will be on show courtesy of JCT600.
On the opening and closing day of the four day meeting at 1.00pm, parachute display teams are set to drop in on the Knavesmire with the RAF Falcons on Wednesday and the Silver Stars of the Royal Logistics Corps on Ebor Saturday.
The first four races on each of the four days will be broadcast live on ITV1, in addition to every race being covered live on Racing UK and TurfTV. GBI Racing will be transmitting the event to over 80 countries around the world. Ed Chamberlin and Francesca Cumani will head the ITV coverage which will feature use of the “Batcam” as well as capturing the fun with fashion experts Mark Heyes and Charlotte Hawkins.
Away from the track, a brigade of some 80 chefs, backed by a wider raceday team of over two thousand staff, will provide the welcome, services and treats that come with a major sporting event. Seafood will be delivered from the Yorkshire coast every morning including 2,000 crabs, joining Dales lamb and 3,000 home-made beef burgers, Hawes cheeses, 6,000 fresh baked fruit scones and locally made dairy ice cream on the various menus. Partner Moët et Chandon support the meeting with Mercier champagne priced at £35, Moët et Chandon Brut Imperial NV at £51 and selected bars stocking York’s house champagne at £31.
Whether it is to show off their fashion or send pictures of the ice sculptures and chocolate fountains in the main restaurants, or simply to capture the feel good factor, racegoers will be able to use the free Wi-Fi service installed at the track by local tech firm, York Data Services.
Those seeking musical entertainment will have their choice, as both jazz and steel bands perform on the Edwardian Weighing Room Lawn, with Murphy’s Marbles playing their own blend of Irish foot stomping, good time tunes. Local band, The Monotones, will play to racegoers after the last race into the early evening on each of the four racedays from the Edwardian Weighing Room Lawn.
In an off the track record, there will be seven giant screens relaying the action in HD quality, including a new screen above the Roberto Bar at the heart of Grandstand & Paddock, matching the screen that overlooks the John Carr Terrace. Guests in the Voltigeur Restaurant will benefit from the latest technology as Savilles Audio Visual, based in York, are showcasing what is probably the biggest screen in a hospitality suite in the land.
William Derby, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course, concluded “The Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival is simply the highlight of our year. With the record investment in prize money, the stellar entries, ongoing investment across the site and all the countless initiatives and innovations, this year looks set to be a landmark event of top quality racing action as well as a tremendous social and fashion event. I very much hope racegoers, punters and viewers will enjoy the feast on offer.”