What they’re tipping for York: Thursday August 23
Race | 2.00 | 2.30 | 3.05 | 3.40 | 4.15 | 4.50 |
York Press | Body and Soul | Newfangled | Kahruman | The Fugue | Sequence | Shesastar |
Sporting Life | Body and Soul | Newfangled | Invisible Man | Was (nap) | Sequence | Jade |
At The Races | Blessington | Newfangled | Navajo Chief | The Fugue | Sequence | Riot of Colour |
The Sun | Blessington (nap) | Pearl Sea | Anderiego (treble) | Shirocco Star | Sequence | Ladyship |
Daily Mail | Blessington | Newfangled | Navajo Chief | The Fugue | Sequence | Shesastar (nap) |
The Times | Rocky Ground | Rosdhu Queen | Postscript | Shareta (nap) | Pale Mimosa | Ladyship |
Daily Telegraph | Body and Soul | Newfangled | Navajo Chief | Shareta | Sequence | Dutch Rose |
Guardian | Rocky Ground (nap) | Newfangled | Kahruman | Shareta | Cracking Lass | Instance |
GG.com | Rocky Ground | Newfangled | Anderiego | The Fugue | Sequence | Ladyship |
Amazing scenes at York Racecourse yesterday after the world’s finest racehorse, Frankel, romped home to win the Juddmonte International by seven lengths and extend his perfect winning record to 13.
It was summed up by Match of the Day commentator, York’s own Guy Mowbray:
At York Races – like something from the 1930’s, huge crowds going to the front to watch 1 horse – Frankel
— Guy Mowbray (@Guymowbray) August 22, 2012
Wonderful for much-loved trainer Sir Henry Cecil, who made it to York despite being treated for cancer. You can read our interview with Sir Henry here.
Good luck on day two of the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival. Here’s Graham Orange, of Go Racing In Yorkshire, with his preview of the meeting…
A meeting in a million
York Racecourse has confirmed that the total prize fund for this year’s Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival (Wednesday August 22nd- Saturday August 25th) will be £2,950,000, an increase of £196,000 on 2011 values.
This record investment in prize funds will see 18 of the 25 races increased in value, including increases to the flagship Pattern contests, feature handicaps as well as supporting races across the four days. All races will now have prize funds of £25,000 or more.
The first day of the festival will feature the richest race York has ever staged, the Group 1 Juddmonte International now worth £725,000. It closes on Saturday, August 25 when the richest flat handicap in Europe, the Betfred Ebor is the feature race at £225,000.
The opening day of the meeting will be the first ever raceday staged at York to have a prize fund in excess of £1 million.
The flagship of the opening day, and York’s most valuable race, is the Group 1 Juddmonte International which will be worth £725,000, representing an increase of £25,000.
The £140,000 Group 2 Neptune Investment Management Great Voltigeur and the £55,000 Group 3 Pinsent Masons LLP Acomb Stakes complete the valuable Pattern race line-up for the opening day, with an additional £25,000 added to the three handicaps on the card.
The Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks, at £310,000, is the richest all-age fillies and mares race and is the centre-piece of Thursday’s Ladies Day card which features four races for female horses, including the richest Group 2 for juvenile fillies, the Jaguar Cars Lowther Stakes now offering £110,000.
Throughout the week the prize money in the handicaps has been strengthened with perhaps the stand-out uplift being the 1 mile contest on Thursday, the Betfair Don’t Settle For Less Stakes, where the sponsor and the racecourse have joined forces to boost prize money by 70% to £75,000.
The Coolmore Nunthorpe, the fastest race of the week on the Friday, receives an increase of £10,000 to £250,000 on a card that also sees £10,000 added to the richest juvenile Group 2 race in Britain, the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes.
Friday also sees the richest maiden run in Britain, the £25,000 Sky Bet Mobile Convivial Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs which is also part of the Racing Post Yearling Bonus Scheme with a potential additional £10,000 for the winner.
The Saturday sees a £10,000 increase to the Betfred Ebor to £225,000, the richest flat handicap in Europe, for the 170th anniversary since York’s most famous race was first run.
There will be a public draw for stalls positions in the race and this will be done live in the Winners Enclosure on Thursday at around noon. Also on the Saturday is the Betfred Melrose Stakes, a fiercely competitive handicap often referred to as the “three year old’s Ebor” increased to £70,000.
The Listed City of York Stakes has been increased to £50,000 in the year when York celebrates 800 years of its official charter.
A new contest to the meeting will be the last race of the meeting on the Saturday. The QIPCO Future Stars Apprentice Race over five furlongs for three year olds has a prize fund of £25,000 and is part of a three race initiative which started at Glorious Goodwood and ends on British Champions Day – it intends to focus on the rising talents in the jockey ranks.
Every day sees a contest in the QIPCO British Champions Series with the three Group Ones and Saturday’s £140,000 Group 2 Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup all part of the series.
The international standing of the races is further enhanced with the Coolmore Nunthorpe as part of the Breeder’s Cup Challenge Series and the Juddmonte International and Darley Yorkshire Oaks nominated by the Japan Racing Association for big bonuses if the winner travels to the far east in the autumn.
All races at the meeting will have speed tracking equipment attached to runners to allow an instant relay of speed and position information to racegoers and viewers which will delivered by Turftrax.
There are also prizes for the Leading Jockey of the Festival backed by Sky Bet and the White Rose Award where Living North magazine will provide a specially commissioned photo book of the festival for the stand-out moment over the four days.
William Derby, chief executive and clerk of the course at York, said: “We are delighted to announce these increases in prize funds for the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival 2012.
“Through investment by both the racecourse and our partner sponsors, the aim is to set prize funds which continue to attract the best horses and jockeys to race at York.
“We are pleased that the connections of so many of the season’s top horses look set to run at Ebor and we very much look forward to seeing next week’s top quality racing action on the Knavesmire.”
What they’re tipping for York: Wednesday August 22
Race | 2.00 | 2.30 | 3.05 | 3.40 | 4.15 | 4.50 |
York Press | Mass Rally | Ebn Arab (nap) | Noble Mission | Frankel | Olympiad | Sir John Hawkwood |
Sporting Life | Burning Thread | Afonso De Sousa | Thomas Chippendale (nap) | Frankel | Olympiad | Las Verglas Star |
At The Races | Lexi’s Hero | Ebn Arab | Main Sequence | St Nicholas Abbey | Downhiller | Spanish Duke |
The Sun | Zero Money | Ebn Arab | Encke | Frankel | Western Prize (nap) | Sir John Hawkwood |
Daily Mail | Rex Imperator (nap) | Dundonnell | Main Sequence | Frankel | Dazinski | Sir John Hawkwood |
The Times | Ancient Cross | Dundonnell | Thought Worthy | Frankel | Countrywide Flame (nap) | Sir John Hawkwood |
Daily Telegraph | Rex Imperator | Afonso De Sousa | Main Sequence | Frankel | Cape Express | Sir John Hawkwood |
Guardian | Fratellino | Dundonnell (nap) | Main Sequence | Frankel | Western Prize | Hajras |
GG.com | Tax Free | Dundonnell | Main Sequence | Frankel | Western Prize | Kalk Bay |