Great year for racing in Yorkshire is sealed by rise in number of racegoers

MORE than one million people watched horse racing last year in Yorkshire, according to newly-published statistics that reaffirm the sport’s growing popularity in the county.

It is the second time in three years that the magic number has been hit – with Go Racing In Yorkshire highlighting the growing popularity of its week-long summer festival that now attracts 100,000.

They were also helped by the rain clouds relenting in Yorkshire so that the county’s inaugural winter festival, four consecutive days of top-class jumping action between Christmas and the new year, beat the weather.

This success story – horse racing contributes at least £230m a year to the regional economy – has been replicated by the string of awards won by many of Yorkshire’s nine racecourses.

In the Racegoers Club Racecourse of the Year Awards, York – scene of so many memorable races in 2013, headed by Leyburn-based Karl and Elaine Burke’s Dante win with Libertarian and Mukhadram’s Sky Bet York Stakes win for Skipton-born William Haggas – was voted best racecourse in the north.

There was a further boost for the Knavesmire track when its head groundsman Adrian Kay won the prestigious Alex R Millar Award. This prestigious title, run under the auspices of the Institute of Groundsmen, is open to individuals who work at any sporting venue in the country.

Meanwhile, Wetherby was named the best small racecourse in the north by the Racegoers Club, testament to the jumping track’s continued renaissance that led to the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner lining up in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase and Sue Smith’s Grand National hero Auroras Encore making his competitive comeback in the Rowland Meyrick Chase on Boxing Day.

“Topping one million racegoers on our racecourses during 2013 was a fantastic achievement and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Go Racing In Yorkshire’s chairman John Sexton.

“It was a sensational year for racing in Yorkshire, with a memorable Summer Festival which attracted great crowds, a very competitive first ‘future stars’ apprentice series won by Gary Mahon, nine wonderful Ladies Days capped off by the final at Doncaster and last, but not least, an extremely successful first-ever Winter Festival which helped tip the aggregate attendance over the one million mark.

“Racing in Yorkshire is going from strength to strength and buoyed by these figures, we can look forward to 2014 and beyond with real confidence.”

As for 2014, York will be the venue for the start of the Tour de France’s second stage on July 6, while Ripon will be transformed into a campsite when the county welcomes cycling enthusiasts from around the world.

The North Yorkshire track will also host day one of this year’s Summer Festival on July 19, with the ninth and final meeting taking place eight days later at Pontefract.

The Winter Festival will take place from December 26-29 with Wetherby’s two-day Christmas meeting followed by Sunday action at Catterick and a finale at Doncaster.

As for action on the course, all eyes will be on the Smith stable as Auroras Encore attempts to become the first horse since the legendary Red Rum 40 years ago to win successive Nationals.

The High Eldwick stable also has a very promising novice hurdler in Blakemount, who could develop into a serious contender for the Albert Bartlett Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

This three-mile championship race for novice hurdlers could be the ultimate target for Malcolm Jefferson’s highly-rated Oscar Rock after he was a slightly disappointing third in Newbury’s Grade One Challow Hurdle.

Beaten by a long way out, the horse actually stayed on in the closing stages under Brian Hughes and could head to Haydock on February 15 for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, a race won previously by the likes of Back In Focus and the ill-fated Brindisi Breeze.

“He ran well enough, but I blame myself,” said Malton-based Jefferson. “I think I’m over-training him a little bit. I think he wants to be fresher.

“He’s a light-framed horse so he probably needs less work, so that’s what he’ll get and we’ll see where we go from there.

“We’re not disappointed. He’s run well and it was a good race in a good time. He’s not a fast horse, he’s a real galloper so we’ll see how he gets on over three miles.”

Ben Haslam hopes Dance For Georgie’s win at Wolverhampton yesterday will signal an upturn in fortunes at his Middleham yard. This George Chaloner-ridden winner equalled the trainer’s entire total of successes on the Flat last year.

“We didn’t have many runners last year, to be fair,” said Haslam.

“There were excuses for some, there’s the financial climate, and some of them just weren’t very good.”