Knavesmire celebrating as £5m kitty helps beat recession

YORK Racecourse has successfully bucked the recession, a record number of spectators having enjoyed top-quality racing on Knavesmire in 2010 – even ahead of today's season-ending finale that features the Coral Sprint Trophy.

With last year's attendance figure already surpassed prior to yesterday's fixture, officials are hopeful that a bumper crowd today means that the course could even eclipse the 350,000 figure for the calendar year.

Head of marketing James Brennan said: "We've had 327,000 racegoers before racing yesterday – and we are confident that the magic figure of 350,000 is attainable."

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Brennan expects up to 18,000 punters will attend today's meeting where York have increased the amount of prize money available to 175,000.

They clearly believe that increased financial incentives – this year's total kitty was over 5m and 100,000 up on 2009 – helped attract the best horses and helped to market the sport to the public.

York chairman Nicholas Wrigley added: "This is what we are all about at York; when we are able to invest in the race programme, then that is what we do."

Malton trainer Richard Fahey, York's leading trainer for a fifth successive year, is once again mob-handed in the Coral Sprint Trophy with five runners as he attempts to land the race for a third year running.

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They include top weight Kaldoun Kingdom, last year's winner, but the stable's best chance appears to be Irish Heartbeat, the mount of in-form Paul Hanagan, who is on the cusp of a first jockeys' championship.

"Irish Heartbeat is a strong travelling horse and if they go flat out it will suit him – they won't take him off the bridle," said Fahey, whose Justonefortheroad won yesterday's feature at 25-1.

Fahey will not have it all his own way today. Maunby trainer David Barron saddles Ayr Silver Cup winner Colonel Mak and Poet's Place, who did not get the breaks in the Ayr Gold Cup, finishing 10th behind the Dandy Nicholls-trained Redford.

While Redford reappears at Ascot today, Barron clearly fancies Colonel Mak's chances. "He is in tremendous form."