A Guide for Horsemen 2016
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A GUIDE FOR HORSEMEN 2016 - ROA Gold Standard Racecourse & Horsemen's Group Premier Tier prize money agreement - Record seasonal prize fund of over £7 million - 30 black type races - Group One Juddmonte International ranked number one race in Great Britain - Overall Showcase Champion at the RCA Showcase Awards Welcome to York Racecourse Everyone at York Racecourse very much looks forward to welcoming you to the Knavesmire for the 2016 season. This booklet has been produced to provide owners and horsemen with information prior to your visit to York. Please do not hesitate to contact the team if you have further queries (see page 19 for their contact details). York Racecourse has a proud tradition of staging the very best of thoroughbred racing dating back to 1731. York is an independent racecourse run for the good of racing at York. We have no beneficial shareholders and pay no dividends – everything we make is reinvested into prize money, facilities and the racecourse experience at York. This year sees a fifth consecutive year of growth in prize money to a record level of £7 million. This represents an increase of over £300,000 on last year and growth of 40%+ since 2011. Our seventeen day season now has 30 Group and Listed races. All afternoon fixtures will have a prize fund of at least £100,000 with a feature race of at least £30,000 and every race will have a prize fund of at least £10,000. The Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 August. All four of our feature races will receive a boost which, when combined with other increases, will see the cumulative value of the twenty-five races post another record exceeding £4 million in prize funds. Ranked as the number one race in Great Britain by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the £900,000 Group One Juddmonte International will be the richest race ever staged at York. I am delighted that the Sky Bet City of York Stakes, already a target for progressive horses over our seven furlong trip, has been elevated to Group Three status so becoming the tenth Group contest at the Festival. All races during our four August days will be worth at least £60,000. Overall prize money at the Dante Festival in May will once again exceed seven figures, with a Group Two race on each day benefiting from a £10,000 rise in value. In July the longest running commercially sponsored flat race in the world, the 57th John Smith's Cup will receive a £50,000 boost to £200,000. Recent years have seen significant investments in the racing surface, the stables, stable staff accommodation and the Owners’ Club. During last season we were pleased to open the new Northern End Development of the racecourse to popular and critical acclaim. The relocated pre-parade ring, new saddling boxes, wash-down area and Winning Connections Room have been welcomed by visitors since 2014 and they have now been joined by a new Weighing Room as well as The Parade Ring Restaurant, offering a fine dining experience for smaller parties at the heart of the racing action. These facilities, as well as our complimentary luncheon for Owners with a runner helped us to secure both the ROA Gold Standard and the RCA Showcase Award for Owners Excellence; two accolades that we are keen to live up to during the coming season. We very much look forward to welcoming you to the Knavesmire. Good luck for the 2016 season. Lord Grimthorpe, Chairman of York Racecourse 2 An award winning racecourse ... thank you for your support Visitor Attraction Gold Award Best Bar in UK racing - Moët Pavilion RHS Yorkshire in Bloom Awards Merbury National Catering Awards Gold Standard Award Tourism Event of the Year - White Rose Awards The Racehorse Owners Association The Best Race in the World, The Juddmonte International Food & Beverage - The Northern End Development Owners' Experience Racecourse Association, Showcase Awards Racecourse Association, Showcase Awards The Racecourse Groundstaff Champion Overall Showcase Champion Racecourse Association, Showcase Awards Racecourse Association, Showcase Awards 3 Dante Festival Wednesday 11 - Friday 13 May Top quality racing at the first meeting of the 2016 York season, with the prize fund increased to a total of £1,120,000. Wednesday sees the twin highlights of the £120,000 Group 2 Duke of York Clipper Logistics sprint, and the £100,000 Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora for three year old fillies. Last year’s Tattersalls Musidora winner, Star of Seville, went on to win the Group 1 French Oaks. The Duke of York saw winner, Glass Office, appreciate the return to six furlongs with the second placed Mattmu returning to the track to take third place in the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe. Thursday hosts the feature £160,000 Group 2 Betfred Dante which has proved a leading Epsom form guide. Golden Horn claimed an impressive victory before taking the 2015 Investec Derby, Coral Eclipse and Arc de Triomphe, proving himself a deserved 2015 Horse of the Year winner. Jack Hobbs settled for second place before classic glory himself in the Irish Derby. Also on Thursday, the Group 2 Betfred Middleton Stakes for older fillies and mares, offers a purse of £120,000. A front running performance by Secret Gesture ensured she went one better from 2014. There are now thirty York races as part of the Pattern. The first winner of the upgraded Listed Westow Stakes was Profitable. The race now forms part of the programme for three year old sprinters on course for the new Commonwealth Stakes at Royal Ascot. The top horses from the action on Friday will often reappear in The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, as the leading stayers take centre stage in the Group 2 Betway Yorkshire Cup, which offers £160,000 in prize money. Snow Sky had the best turn of foot before taking the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes. Dusky Queen showed authority in the Betway EBF Stallions Stakes taking the title for the second year running before winning a Listed contest at Chester. The details of the race programme are correct at time of printing however they may be changed so please visit the website, www.yorkracecourse.co.uk, or refer to the Racing Calendar. 4 Wednesday 11 May Age Prize money Distance 888sport Stakes - Handicap (86-100) - Class 2 4+ £25,000 One mile & two furlongs Infinity Tyres Stakes - Handicap (86-105) - Class 2 4+ £25,000 Six furlongs Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes - Group 2 (early closing - 29 March) 3+ £120,000 Six furlongs Tattersalls Musidora Stakes - Group 3 3f £100,000 One mile & two furlongs Conundrum HR Consulting Stakes - Handicap (76-95) - Class 3 3 £20,000 Seven furlongs British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes (Plus 10 Race) - Class 3 2 £20,000 Five furlongs AGP Ltd and Steve Johnson Stakes - Handicap (71-85) - Class 4 4+ £15,000 One mile & four furlongs Wednesday Total £325,000 Thursday 12 May Age Prize money Distance Betfred supports Jack Berry House Stakes - Handicap (86-105) - Class 2 4+ £25,000 Five furlongs Betfred Middleton Stakes - Group 2 (early closing - 29 March) 4+f&m £120,000 One mile & two furlongs Betfred Dante Stakes - Group 2 (early closing - 29 March) 3 £160,000 One mile & two furlongs Betfred TV Hambleton Stakes - Listed Handicap (96-110) - Listed 4+ £50,000 One mile British Stallions EBF Westow Stakes - Listed 3 £45,000 Five furlongs The Stratford Place Stud EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes (Plus 10 Race) - Class 3 2 £20,000 Six furlongs Boroughbridge Stakes - Handicap (71-90) - Class 3 4+ £20,000 Two miles Thursday Total £440,000 Friday 13 May Age Prize money Distance Langleys Solicitors EBF Marygate Fillies' Stakes - Listed 2f £45,000 Five furlongs Betway Jorvik Stakes - Handicap (0-105) - Class 2 4+ £50,000 One mile & four furlongs Betway Yorkshire Cup - (British Champions Series Race) - Group 2 (early closing - 29 March) 4+ £160,000 One mile & six furlongs Longines Irish Champions Weekend Fillies' Stakes (registered as the Michael Seely Memorial Stakes) - Listed 3f £45,000 One mile Ralph Raper Memorial Stakes - Handicap (76-90) - Class 3 3 £20,000 Five furlongs EBF Stallions Breeding Winners Frank Whittle Partnership Stakes - Fillies' Handicap (76-90) - Class 3 4+f&m £20,000 Seven furlongs Heslington Stakes - Handicap (66-80) - Class 4 3 £15,000 One mile & four furlongs Friday Total £355,000 TOTAL FOR DANTE FESTIVAL £1,120,000 The details of the race programme are correct at time of printing however they may be changed so please visit the website, www.yorkracecourse.co.uk, or refer to the Racing Calendar. 5 May Saturday Saturday 21 May The first Saturday of the York season with a feature Black Type, the Listed Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup. A competitive race with all runners rated above 100, Clever Cookie became a back to back winner, this time outright after dead heating in 2014. The day also features the Titanbet.co.uk Spring Sprint Handicap over five furlongs worth £50,000. The Infinity Tyres fillies' handicap last season was claimed by Covert Love, who went on to win the Group 1 Irish Oaks and Prix de l'Opera Longines. Saturday 21 May Age Prize money Distance titanbet.co.uk Stakes - Handicap (96-110) - Class 2 3+ £30,000 Seven furlongs Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup - Listed 4+ £40,000 One mile & six furlongs Titanbet.co.uk Spring Sprint - Handicap (0-105) - Class 2 3+ £50,000 Five furlongs Whixley Stakes - Handicap (76-90) - Class 3 4+ £15,000 One mile & four furlongs Yorkshire Regiment EBF Stallions Median Auction Novice Stakes (Plus 10 Race) - Class 3 2 £11,500 Six furlongs Infinity Tyres Breeders Backing Racing EBF Fillies' Stakes - Handicap (71-90) - Class 3 3f £12,500 One mile & two furlongs John Wright Electrical Gentleman Amateur Riders Stakes - Handicap (66-80) - Class 4 4+ £10,000 Seven furlongs Saturday Total £169,000 The details of the race programme are correct at time of printing however they may be changed so please visit the website, www.yorkracecourse.co.uk, or refer to the Racing Calendar.