The £1M Skybet Ebor

York Racecourse The Love of the Sport – - A seven figure success story! Proudly partnered by Objectives - To write a new chapter in the history of an already famous race, first run in 1843 - To support the racing industry strategy to enhance the stayers’ programme - To grow engagement & revenues for the wider sport by growing betting turnover - To re-invigorate the connection between the race and its home city, Ebor was the Roman name for York - To build the global relevance & international coverage of the race - To increase attendance when other days are dipping 2 Delivery - Creation of the “Ebor Community Fund”; giving 22 local - Formed a five year partnership with Leeds based Sky Bet, with a organisations the chance to receive a £5,000 grant if their vision for the Ebor as an inspirational prize allocated horse won the Sky Bet Ebor – generating more interest - Quadrupled the prize money from its 2017 level to become the than the 22 berths available, the final 22 were each allocated a richest flat handicap in Europe, the first to offer £1,000,000 runner in the big race, invited to attend & then have their project followed - The £1m prize money to attract the biggest owners, trainers & jockeys to York where in previous years a typically busy Saturday - Exclusive user group offer to Sky Bet members had seen them spread elsewhere - Refresh of the Sky Bet Ebor Draw which is held live at the - Investment of a six-figure sum in a bespoke single-unit bay of racecourse on the Thursday stalls, imported from Australia – to increase the Ebor’s maximum - Learning from the theatre of other gladiatorial sports (boxing, field size from 20 to 22, so giving more connections a run and snooker) the 22 jockeys were introduced to the raceday crowd by increasing interest as a betting heat Oli Bell of ITV, entering one by one down the steps, not wearing - Creation of the Sky Bet “Race to The Ebor” series– winners of their helmets, the defending champion delivering the Trophy to a three designated races gain an automatic place in the Sky Bet Ebor plinth in the style of pitchside Champions League/Calcutta Cup (also made possible by 22 bay stalls) – so building and extending displays a media & race-fan narrative in May & June ahead of the natural - Added further excitement by walking the Giant Ebor Flag up entries/weights publication in July the final furlong as a race countdown, adapted from the start of - Sponsor Promotion to pay eight places Champion League or Rugby Internationals - The race conditions amended to make it a race for 4yo & - The only European venue to host the Lexus Melbourne Cup upwards, so protecting the Classic generation Pattern contests alongside the Sky Bet Ebor Trophy, offering a chance for a such as the Great Voltigeur & St Leger as well as encouraging picture for racegoers stayers to remain in training in Britain beyond their 3yo career - A weeklong charity raffle for a “Trip of a Lifetime” to the - Invited for the first time the Victoria Racing Club were present, Melbourne Cup in aid of New Beginnings retired racehorse live, to confirm that the winner would “get a run” in the Melbourne charity Cup & to present a VVIP Trip to the connections -Most ever Ebor branding of whole racecourse site – front 3 entrance, lift lobbies to Champagne Terraces Results Biggest crowd of the week (28,500), +2% , biggest crowd in 4 years, MySight York, Ebor Community Fund winners, “what a great despite the East Coast Mainline being closed gesture for local charities. Obviously all the better when ITV coverage saw a 27% increase in share of its broadcast audience, Mustajeer won. As a small local charity the £5k is a significant year on year amount of money to us and will benefit the partially sighted users of our services in York and surrounding areas” “With an exceptionally high-quality field and an unprecedented eight- place each-way offer we saw extremely strong betting growth on the Winning horse, Mustajeer, has been bought by an Australian Sky Bet Ebor Handicap, with stakes growth of 67% year-on-year. This bloodstock syndicate to run in Melbourne. In addition, a record resulted in the race being our third highest staking race of the flat seven of the 22 Ebor runners have shipped to Melbourne season so far.” – Andrew Wright, Sky Bet Trading Director Stayers reaching higher values in 2018/19 sales Media reported connections talking about “a tilt at the Ebor” after The raffle raised £10,000 for New Beginnings Charity nearly every long distance race (bar Group Ones) from May onwards York’s new five year partnership with Sky Bet has also meant Google search activity for Ebor in the UK achieved a 5-year high that some four races on Saturday 25 August have increased International media were welcomed with Dubai TV & Equida having a in value crew at the day for the first time ‘Thank you for taking the Ebor draw so seriously. Everyone was well-briefed and practised, which made for a smooth More than double the level of Google searches for ‘Ebor’ during Ebor process, the integrity of which could not be questioned. You week in Austrailia than for any week in any of the past four years have set the standard for all special draws to follow’ - The race was shown live around the world with NBC and national Mike Waring, Senior Race Planning Executive broadcasters in Canada & Poland showing it for the first time, joining ‘York’s decision to beef up the Ebor is even more welcome existing coverage live in Australia and the Middle East for the fact the executive is trying to make something of a 4 once-historic race’ – Julian Muscat, Racing Post Supporting Information On top of all that, the meeting …was given a further boost by the staging of the first £1 million Ebor, a revitalised old race that promises to get even better – Lee Mottershead, Racing Post £5,000 Community Fund presentation to MySight York We could not have wished for better racing, and the Melbourne Cup on its inaugural trip to York was so well received. Please thank William and your team for everything they did for us. Congratulations on ‘raising the bar’ for British racing – well done! – Amanda Elliott, Chairman of Victoria Racing Club Middleham based trainer Mark Johnston, won the race in 1992 with Quick Many thanks for the heads up, and I’m Ransom; his son and assistant Charlie - It’s a fantastic announcement. York and delighted for you that the vision of a £1 million in particular the Ebor Festival, has been on an upward curve in recent years, Ebor is becoming a reality. This should also especially in terms of prize money. This latest development backed by Sky Bet make a material difference to the industry takes things to a new level. The prospect of a £1 million Ebor is fantastic for stayers project, and thank you so much for the Yorkshire racing. It’s a race everyone is going to want to win steadfast support - Claire Sheppard, TBA The whole production was a little bit of theatre and it worked rather well – Lee Mottershead on the Sky Bet Ebor jockey walk-out Watch MySight York celebrate their £5k Ebor Community Fund win - click here Enjoyed significant local radio & newspaper coverage 5.

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