York Racecourse aiming to attract the star horses to Knavesmire as record £10m prize fund is revealed

Eighteen fixtures are due to take place on the Knavesmire this year, starting with May’s Dante meeting, and the new prize fund is £1.2m higher than the pre-pandemic of season of 2019.

It surpasses the equivalent figure for last year by £2.4m when crowd restrictions were in place for a large part of the summer due to Covid protocols.

Every race will be worth at least £15,000 – and all 18 meetings will offer at least £150,000.

Both the Group One Darley Yorkshire Oaks and Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes – two of the feature races at the Ebor Festival – are set to be worth £500,000.

The Group One Juddmonte International, which was the Longines World’s Best race in 2020 and won by the David Egan-ridden Mishriff in 2021, will continue to have a £1m purse.

Meanwhile the Group Two Sky Bet City of York Stakes, run over 10 furlongs in late July, will be worth £400,000.

In addition, racegoers will benefit from a refurbished Champagne bar, new disabled viewing platforms and a six-figure investment in seating for spectators.

York Racecourse chairman Bridget Guerin said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of our sponsors, racegoers and partners that allows York Racecourse to make this bold commitment of £10m in prize money to British racing.

“After sharing the challenges of the last two years, we now look forward to welcoming connections to the Knavesmire.

“I’m confident they will repay this record investment by sending their stars to York for our enthusiastic and knowledgeable racegoers to enjoy. They are assured of a warm Yorkshire welcome.”

No new sponsor has been announced for the Ebor Festival which was previously backed by the now defunct Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency.

In other news, Shishkin is expected to put his Cheltenham disappointment behind him by appearing in the Celebration Chase on the final day of the season at Sandown.

Aside from the very testing ground, Nicky Henderson is still none the wiser as to why his previously unbeaten chaser failed to fire in last week’s Queen Mother Champion Chase before being pulled up at the eighth fence.

Tests are still being carried out on the horse’s wellbeing. “There are little bits and pieces we are still checking out,” said a perplexed Henderson. “He just never went a yard. He looks bright in himself but there’s nothing obvious. I don’t see any reason why he won’t make Sandown, anyway.”

Shishkin was one of very few disappointments during the Festival for Henderson, who saddled two winners and six seconds during the week.

However Henderson is trying to downplay the hype surrounding Constitution Hill and says no decision has yet been made on whether the runaway winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner will take on unbeaten Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle at Punchestown next month.

Constitution Hill was awarded an official BHA handicap mark of 170 – the highest ever given to a novice hurdler since Anglo-Irish Classifications began in 1999/2000 – that puts him just 2lb behind the 165-rated Honeysuckle when her 7lb mares’ allowance is taken into consideration.

Henderson, though, is keen to stress the five-year-old has only had three races in his life, while also declaring himself as one of Honeysuckle’s biggest fans.

“I’m keeping right out of all the talk. I’m reading the headlines with interest every day about what he is and where he’s going and I’ve no idea,” said Henderson.

Meanwhile Sir Mark Todd will appear before the British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel today to face a charge of engaging in conduct prejudicial to the reputation of the sport.

The Flat trainer, who is better known as a dual Olympic champion three-day eventer, had his licence temporarily suspended on February 16 after a video emerged on social media of the handler striking a horse with a branch.