Reel-life gallop down memory lane

YORK has been hosting the Sport of Kings since 1731 – long before there was any such thing as a photo finish.

Later racegoers wandering home in top hat and tails after watching the thoroughbreds in action no doubt shook their heads in disbelief as they passed the queues starting to form with the birth of cinema.

They were betting men and women and probably bet themselves this moving picture nonsense would never catch on – let alone that the races themselves would ever feature on the big screen.

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Now cinema and racing history are to come full circle as the Yorkshire racecourse hosts a unique event tracing the history of the Knavesmire on film.

For the last meet of the season – tomorrow's October Finale Stakes and the Coral Sprint Trophy on Saturday – spectators will be treated to a two-minute edited clip of the highlights of York Races down the decades.

Racing Reels brings together black and white and colour footage over the decades at the Knavesmire including a Topical Budget newsreel from 1921, Ebor race day in the late 1930s, crowds at the 1960s Magnet Cup meets and 1970s fashions.

Using the Knavesmire's four giant screens, a winning compilation of archive cine film capturing the excitement of a race day at York from the 1920s to the 1970s will be broadcast in between the action on the track.

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William Derby, chief executive and clerk of York Race Course, said: "This fabulous archive film footage of racing at York over the ages has been rescued, reformatted and produced wonderfully by Yorkshire Film Archive and Screen Yorkshire.

"It portrays the Knavesmire from a bygone era and while the fashions, stands, style of riding and motor cars have changed, the landscape, sense of occasion and atmosphere of racing at York transcend the ages.

"We are very grateful to the Yorkshire Film Archive, Screen Yorkshire and all the contributors of the footage from broadcast coverage to early cine camera enthusiasts who have contributed to this landmark film.

"I very much look forward to seeing it broadcast across the racecourse on our four big screens and some 200 plasma TVs at our finale October meeting."

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Screen Yorkshire chief executive Sally Joynson said: "We are delighted that our funding has helped create a new partnership between the Yorkshire Film Archive and York Races.

"This is a great initiative adding images of past events to the excitement of a day's racing.More and more people are appreciating the window into our past offered by archive film and both Yorkshire Film Archive and Screen Yorkshire are leading the pack in finding new ways of presenting the nation's film heritage gems."

Viewers can marvel at the fabulous hats, listen in on snatches of racing commentary from decades ago, watch the tick-tack men in action, and snigger at the excesses of seventies fashion.

But the event also aims to encourage people not usually regarded as followers of archive film to root around in their own garages and attics in search of more lost footage of bygone days at the track.

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Graham Relton, of the Yorkshire Film Archive, added: "Screening unique archive footage at such a prestigious venue as York Races is a great way for the Yorkshire Film Archive to reach mass audiences who may not have engaged with archive film before.

"We are confident the footage will be a winner on the day – it might even encourage race-goers to come forward with their old 16mm and 8mm cine film of sporting days long gone; we'd love to take a look at them."

n If you cannot make it to the races you can watch the footage on the Yorkshire Film Archive website at www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com and at the York Races website – www.yorkracecourse.co.uk – for a limited time only.

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