York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England.
It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It attracts around 350,000 racegoers per year and stages four of the UK's 38 annual Group 1 races – the Juddmonte International Stakes, the Nunthorpe Stakes, the Yorkshire Oaks and the City of York Stakes.
Location
The course is located in the southwest of the city, next to the former Terry's of York factory, The Chocolate Works. It is situated on an expanse of ground which has been known since pre-medieval times as the Knavesmire, from the Anglo-Saxon "knave" meaning a man of low standing, and "mire" meaning a swampy pasture for cattle. For this reason, the racecourse is still sometimes referred to as "The Knavesmire". The Knavesmire was originally common pasture, belonging to the city. It was also the scene of the hanging of Dick Turpin in 1739. suggesting that there may have been equine activities that could have included forms of racing on the site of the Knavesmire as early as Neolithic times. The city corporation is known to have given its support to the sport from 1530 and, in 1607, racing is known to have taken place on the frozen River Ouse, between Micklegate Tower and Skeldergate Postern. A famous yearly race for a golden bell was taking place in the nearby Forest of Galtres in 1590.
There is some uncertainty over when racing first arrived at the current site. The official stance of York Racecourse itself is that racing was first held on the Knavesmire when York's race meeting was moved in 1730 from a previous site at Clifton Ings which was prone to flooding.
At the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, the local military commander General Sir John Byng was absent because he had two horses running at York that day, and delegated command to his deputy, who failed to peacefully disperse the large crowd, resulting in 18 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
By the 1830s and 40s, support from noble families like the Fitzwilliams had dwindled and the continuance of the meeting was in jeopardy. Improvements in transportation had reduced the need for rural landowners to keep York townhouses so August race week in the city was no longer the occasion it was. Many races were reduced to matches or even walkovers.
On 31 May 1982, Pope John Paul II visited York racecourse and drew a reported audience of 190,000.
On 22 September 1984, the racecourse hosted its first music concert headlined by Echo & the Bunnymen. In recent years, concerts have been arranged after race meetings in May, June and July and from 2015 to 2017, it hosted the Yorfest.
The second day of the 2014 Tour de France started from the racecourse.
Facilities
thumb|right|The racecourse buildings, seen from the southeast
In 1754, at the instigation of the Marquess of Rockingham the first grandstand was built at a cost of £1,250 by the architect John Carr. New stands were erected in 1890, incorporating much of the original building. The late 20th century saw progressive development of the facilities. A new five-tier grandstand was opened in 1965, the Melrose Stand was opened in 1989 and this was quickly followed by the award-winning Knavesmire Stand, with additional conference facilities in 1996. 2003 saw the opening of the Ebor Stand.
In 2005, York Racecourse acted as a replacement host to the Royal Ascot meeting, due to its usual home at Ascot Racecourse being closed for a £185 million redevelopment, attracting a 5-day attendance of over 224,000. It also hosted the St Leger in 2006. and came out on top in The Times newspaper survey of all Britain's racecourses.
Records
- Attendances
- All-time – c. 150,000 (1851) for the Great Match between Voltigeur and The Flying Dutchman
Notable races
{| class = "sortable" | border="1" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:90%"
|- bgcolor="#77dd77" align="center"
! style="width:70px" |Month
! style="width:80px" |Meeting
! style="width:80px" |DOW
! Race Name
! style="width:70px" | Grade
! style="width:80px" |Distance
! style="width:50px" |Age/Sex
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Spring Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Wednesday
| Minster Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Spring Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Wednesday
| Musidora Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Spring Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Middleton Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo+ f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Spring Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Dante Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Spring Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Friday
| Yorkshire Cup
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |First Saturday
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Brontë Cup
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo+ f&m
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |June Meeting
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Grand Cup
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |4yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |July Meeting
| style="text-align:center" |Friday
| Summer Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+ f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |July Meeting
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| John Smith's Cup
| style="text-align:center" | Handicap
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |July Meeting
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| York Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Galtres Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+ f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Roses Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |2yo
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Wednesday
| International Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 1
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Wednesday
| Great Voltigeur Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Wednesday
| Acomb Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |2yo
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Lowther Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |2yo f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Yorkshire Oaks
| style="text-align:center" | Group 1
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+ f
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Thursday
| Lonsdale Cup
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Friday
| Strensall Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 3
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Friday
| Nunthorpe Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 1
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |2yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Friday
| Gimcrack Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 2
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |2yo
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| City of York Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Group 1
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |Ebor Festival
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Ebor Handicap
| style="text-align:center" | Handicap
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |September
| style="text-align:center" |Sunday
| Garrowby Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |3yo+
|-
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |October
| style="text-align:center" |Saturday
| Rockingham Stakes
| style="text-align:center" | Listed
| style="text-align:center" |
| style="text-align:center" |2yo
|}
References
Bibliography
- <!-- Travelling The Turf 15th ed-->
External links
- Official website
- Course guide on GG.COM
- Course guide on At The Races
- Racing on the History of York website
- Ebor Festival News Website