YORK'S TWO- DAY JUNE MEETING FEATURES RECORD PRIZE MONEY AND RAISES MONEY FOR GOOD CAUSES
The 37th Timeform Charity Day will offer record prizemoney as the feature contest, the William Hill Trophy has increased in value to £100,000; so becoming the fourteenth race in York’s racing calendar to pass this landmark. Europe’s top three year old sprinters will go to post at York on Saturday (June 16) – the second leg of the two-day June Meeting on the Knavesmire.
As one of the most distinctive and prestigious fixtures in British racing, it has also raised over £4 million for good causes in particular Macmillan Cancer Relief and the total looks set to receive a healthy boost again this year due to the combined proceeds of the raceday and Timeform’s eve-of-meeting dinner and auction at the racecourse.
The glittering dinner features the Timeform Racing Personality of the Year Award and amongst the items to be auctioned is a trip for two to The Dubai World Cup meeting, a luxury weekend for two at The Berkeley in London and a complete leather-bound set of Timeform Racehorses Annuals.
This year, the Halifax-based renowned form specialists, Timeform, celebrate 60 years in business and this special day continues to set high standards in the sport that have been rewarded with a cumulative attendance of over 900,000 since 1971.
Saturday’s seven-race programme, which begins at 2-10 p.m., boasts total prize money in excess of £195,000, with the principal race, the William Hill Trophy, being Britain’s most valuable sprint handicap for three-year-olds.
Saturday’s opening race is the 20th running of The Queen Mother’s Cup, one of Europe’s top races for lady amateur riders and so the lucky winner is rewarded with the unusual prize of her weight in champagne. A reward famously collected by HRH the Princess Royal when she won the race back in 1988
The quality card includes other well-known races on Timeform Charity Day – The Cadogan Silver Salver Handicap Stakes, The Daniel Prenn Royal Yorkshire Handicap Stakes, The Leonard Sainer EBF Maiden Stakes, The Charles Henry Memorial Handicap Stakes and The Michael Sobell Maiden Stakes.
The first three races on Friday (2-20 p.m. start) are sponsored by HSS Hire, who return to York for the third year to support the racing programme on the Knavesmire. With over 400 branches, HSS Hire is the UK’s largest tool and equipment hire chain. The trio of races includes the feature contest of the afternoon – and the longest - The HSS Hire Stakes, a Handicap contest for stayers over two miles using the now - established round course. It offers prize money of £18,000.
The Rous Selling Stakes is also supported for the third year by engineering company, SKF (UK) Ltd, it brings the added spectacle of the auction of the winning horse live in the Winner’s Enclosure straight after the race.
Completing Friday’s card is a handicap race for apprentice jockeys supported by Mayfield Pet Products, who are sponsoring at York for the first time whilst celebrating the achievements of their team.
The popular totesport ‘Punters’ Panel’ takes place prior to racing on both days from the winner’s podium as a preview to the action on each day, while giant screens will provide racegoers with an even closer view of proceedings on the track.
Charities, racegoers, and the connections of the successful horses look set to be on a winner over the two day occasion.
