First past the post, York wins the race for global glory

It comes after the Juddmonte International, a centrepiece of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, given a higher classification than the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – so long the jewel in the crown of European Flat racing - with the Epsom Derby languishing back in 51st place.

The ratings, confirmed by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, are another major boost to the reputation of the iconic track which is no stranger to global glory – it has previously hosted Pope John Paul, the Olympic torch relay and Tour de France in its rich and illustrious history.

But the success is a particularly satisfying to the racecourse’s chief executive William Derby and his team of staff who continue to work tirelessly to attract the world’s best thoroughbreds and provide top class facilities for spectators.

“Having staged the number one race in the world is a huge accolade for York, Yorkshire and British racing,” said a delighted Mr Derby who believes the accolade will help the track to continue to attract the very best thoroughbreds to the Knavesmire. “We are determined to keep building on this award.”

The 10-furlong contest was instigated in 1972 by Major Leslie Petch, one of Mr Derby’s illustrious predecessors, and the inaugural race – known as the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup – was won by Epsom Derby hero Roberto who beat the previously invincible Brigadier Gerard.

However it has taken four decades for the £850,000 race, sponsored by Frankel owner Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms breeding empire for the past 26 years, to attain its number one ranking.

In assessing elite races ranging from the Juddmonte to Australia’s Melbourne Cup (69th) and Doncaster’s Ladbrokes St Leger (77th), handicappers calculated the performance ratings of the first four horses home in each contest over the past three years.

York was helped by the 2012 Juddmonte which saw the cancer-stricken Sir Henry Cecil’s incomparable Frankel produce a career-best performance, amidst scenes of delirious delight under the summer sun, and beat a stellar field by a runaway margin.

The following year saw Irish training legend Aidan O’Brien’s Declaration Of War prevail in a thriller before the Ballydoyle handler’s English and Irish Derby winner Australia landed the spoils last August from Yorkshire’s dual Group One-winner The Grey Gatsby. This was sufficient to give York a cumulative rating of 124.17 – just a fraction ahead of the

Longchamp’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

“It’s a race we love to win; looking at some of the placed horses that we have had in, we are not surprised that it came out on top,” said Mr O’Brien whose record-equally five wins in the race is only matched by Sir Michael Stoute.

Eight British races feature in the top 16 – but there will be some consternation that the Epsom Derby, the contest which stopped the nation when Lester Piggott was at the peak of his powers, did not even make the top 50.

However there has yet to be a Yorkshire winner of the Juddmonte International, an anomaly which The Grey Gatsby team hope to rectify this August. “He’s wintered well and it would be very special to win the Juddmonte International, especially so close to home,” said Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan.

Teddy’s pride at top accolade

YORK’S global honour is particularly satisfying for racecourse chairman Teddy Grimthorpe whose family hail from Westow in Ryedale.

In a dual role, he is also racing manager to Juddmonte Farm supremo Prince Khalid Abdullah whose green, white and pink silks were carried to immortality in 2012 by the now retired equine superstar Frankel.

The colt’s victory was made even more poignant by the presence on the Knavesmire of the horse’s cancer-stricken trainer Sir Henry Cecil who succumbed to cancer the following summer.

“I am delighted that the ratings have now confirmed what we felt at the time – that this is the best race in the world,” said Lord Grimthorpe.