York Racecourse Welcomes The Royal Patron As The Sky Bet Ebor Festival Draws To a Memorable Conclusion

The four fantastic days of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival came to a Royal close on Saturday 23 August, when Her Majesty The Queen, Royal Patron of York Racecourse attended in her capacity as the Owner of Golden Handshake, who ran in the Sky Bet Melrose Stakes.

Later in the afternoon, Her Majesty presented the trophy to the connections of Never So Brave, the Andrew Balding trained winner of the £600,000 Sky Bet City of York, marking the first staging of this race as a Group One contest (the highest category in racing). Then followed by Britain’s richest flat handicap, the Sky Bet Ebor, won by Ethical Diamond to give legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins a second success in three years, and three wins in total. This success, meant that East Riding based M.A.S.H. (Military Assistance Social Hub) were the winning charity in the Sky Bet Ebor Community Sweepstake, receiving a donation of £20,000.

The preceding weekdays had produced a notable champion in each of the Group One contests. Ombudsman confirmed his rating as the one of the very best on turf in the world today, when victorious in the richest ever race staged at York, the £1.3m Juddmonte International. Aidan O’Brien celebrated the success of Coolmore-owned Minnie Hauk, as their filly won the Group One Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks, completing a sequence of English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks Group One victories. On Friday, a meeting that hosted much international competition, including a Japanese runner (Danon Decile), saw an Australian challenger, Asfoora, light up the Knavesmire in the fastest race of the Ebor Festival, the Group One Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes, much to the delight of his swashbuckling trainer, Henry Dwyer.

Racegoers supported the festival in greater numbers than last year, with all four days recording a growth in attendance.

A record investment in prize money of £7.6m (+£580k on 2024) across the Sky Bet Ebor Festival delivered fantastic racing action.

Commenting on the Sky Bet Ebor Festival, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course William Derby said; “Once again, a memorable four days that included the very best of flat racing horses, stories and sporting drama alongside two visits from Her Majesty The Queen to the Knavesmire. Our Royal Patron spent time with members of the team who delivered the wider festival as well as with our Local Community Partners. As a fellow apiarist, she was delighted to receive a jar of Knavesmire Nectar, the limited-edition honey that comes from beehives at the racecourse. This meeting is rightly focused on the stars on the track, though that only happens because of the many stars in the 1,500 strong York Racecourse team who worked so hard to deliver these four flagship racedays. Everyone should feel very proud of their talents and endeavour alongside the warm Yorkshire welcome that that they offered, as well as the many ways that they helped connections and racegoers alike to have a wonderful four days. The York Race Committee’s vision and boldness to invest in record prize money and the best ever race programme was rewarded by such fantastic racing, the best horses from around the world and the most global media interest and coverage ever. We hope everyone enjoyed the showpiece, whether they were with us or following from afar, perhaps even toasting a hometown heroine in a bar in Ballarat, Australia!”