The York Ebor Festival is an historic four day racing festival and one of the major race meetings of the flat season. Here, The Wine Tipster gives you a potted history of the racing at York to get you clued up and ready for the 2020 Ebor Festival.

Racing in York

The York Ebor Festival was first established in 1843 and takes its name from the shortened form of Eboracum, the Roman name for York. York racecourse is one of the premier tracks in Europe with the city’s history dating back to Roman and Viking times. Racing is known to have officially taken place in York in 1607 when horses would race on the frozen river Ouse between Micklegate Tower and Skeldergate Postern. However, it was not until 1709 that the first detailed records of a race meeting were recorded at Clifton Ings. Despite building work to this area to prevent flooding, the ground proved too soft and in 1730 racing transferred to Knavesmire where today’s course remains. Since then, horse racing at York Racecourse has changed considerably, and the York Ebor Festival is the highlight of the course’s year.

Yorkshire as a county is renowned for its racing prowess, with nine fabulous racing events across the North East. Go Racing Yorkshire provides all the updates and marketing coverage of the nine racecourses to promote racing throughout the county.

Did you know? York has boasted many distinguished visitors, including Pope John Paul II, who said open-air mass for more than 200,000 pilgrims during his visit to Britain on May 31, 1982. York also hosted a visit from both the Olympic Torch and Paralympic Lantern. Former Olympian Harvey Smith carried the torch down the home straight in partnership with Paddy in front of over 20,000 spectators.

Below are lists of the races featured on each day, and details of the history behind them:

Wednesday 19^th August 2020 – Juddmonte International Day

1:45PM THE SYMPHONY GROUP HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 5f 89y 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

2:15PM THE TATTERSALLS ACOMB STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3)  (CL 1) 7f 2YO £40,000.00 – The event is named after Acomb, an area of York located to the north-west of the racecourse. It was given Listed status in 1998, and promoted to Group 3 level in 2006. It is currently held on the opening day of the four-day Ebor Festival meeting.

2:45PM THE GREAT VOLTIGEUR STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2)  (CL 1) 1m 3f 188y 3YO £75,000.00 – The event is named after Voltigeur, the Yorkshire-trained winner of the Derby and St Leger in 1850. It was established in 1950, and it was initially called the Voltigeur Stakes. The word “Great” was added to the title in 1957.

3:15PM THE JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL STAKES (CLASS 1) (British Champions Series) (Group 1)  (CL 1) 1m 2f 56y 3YO+ £275,000.00 – First run in 1972, the Juddmonte International Stakes is York’s richest race and the highlight of the opening day of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival. It was independently ranked as the best race in Great Britain by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities last season.

3:45PM THE HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 2m 56y 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

4:20PM THE SPRINT FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 5f 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 81-100

4:55PM THE NURSERY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 6f 2YO £30,000.00

Thursday 20^th August 2020 – Ladies’ Day

1:45PM LOWTHER STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2) (CL 1) 6f 2YO £75,000.00 – The present version is named in memory of Hugh Lowther (1857–1944), the 5th Earl of Lonsdale. It was established in 1946, and the inaugural running was won by Southernwood.

2:15PM THE GOFFS UK PREMIER YEARLING STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 6f 2YO £180,000.00

2:45PM THE CLIPPER LOGISTICS HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (Heritage Handicap)  (CL 2) 7f 192y 3YO+ £75,000.00

3:15PM THE DARLEY YORKSHIRE OAKS (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (British Champions Series)  (CL 1) 1m 3f 188y 3YO+ £250,000.00 – The race has been sponsored by Darley Stud since 2006, The event was established in 1849

3:45PM THE BRITISH EBF & SIR HENRY CECIL GALTRES STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race)  (CL 1) 1m 3f 188y 3YO+ £35,500.00

4:20PM THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF NURSERY HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 7f 2YO £30,000.00

4:50PM THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 7f 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

Friday 21^st August 2020 – Nunthorpe Day

1:45PM HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 1m 3f 188y 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

2:15PM THE WEATHERBYS HAMILTON LONSDALE CUP STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2) (British Champions Series)  (CL 1) 2m 56y 3YO+ £100,000.00 – The event used to be called the Lonsdale Stakes, and for a period its original distance was 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 198 yards (1.9875 miles or 3198m). It was classed as a Listed race for several years, and it was promoted to Group 3 level in 1998. The race was renamed the Lonsdale Cup and given Group 2 status in 2004. It was extended by 78 yards in 2007 to its current distance.

2:45PM THE AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI GIMCRACK STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2)  (CL 1) 6f 2YO £100,000.00 – The event is named after Gimcrack, a successful racehorse in the 18th century. Gimcrack won twenty-seven times in a career of thirty-six races, but none of his victories were achieved at York. The Gimcrack Stakes was established in 1846, and it was originally open to horses of either gender. It was restricted to male horses in 1987.

3:15PM THE COOLMORE NUNTHORPE STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 1) (British Champions Series)  (CL 1) 5f 2YO+ £250,000.00 – The event is named after Nunthorpe, an area of York. The first version, a low-grade selling race, was established in 1903. The present version began in 1922, and the inaugural running was won by Two Step.

3:45PM THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF CONVIVIAL MAIDEN STAKES (CLASS 2) (PLUS 10 RACE)  (CL 2) 7f 2YO £30,000.00

4:20PM THE BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF FILLIES’ HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 1m 2f 56y 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 81-100

4:50PM THE NATIONWIDE ACCIDENT REPAIR SERVICES HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 7f 192y 3YO £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

Saturday 22^nd August 2020 – Ebor Day

1:50PM THE STRENSALL STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 3)  (CL 1) 1m 177y 3YO+ £50,000.00 – The event is named after Strensall, a village located several miles to the north of York. It was formerly restricted to fillies, and it used to be contested over 7 furlongs. For a period it was classed at Listed level, and it was usually staged in early September.

2:25PM MELROSE HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (Heritage Handicap)  (CL 2) 1m 5f 188y 3YO £65,000.00 Rating 0-105

3:00PM CITY OF YORK STAKES (CLASS 1) (Group 2)  (CL 1) 7f 3YO+ £105,000.00

3:35PM EBOR HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2) (Heritage Handicap)  (CL 2) 1m 5f 188y 4YO+ £250,000.00 – The event was first run in 1843, and it was originally known as the Great Ebor Handicap. The race was introduced by John Orton, a newly appointed Clerk of the Course at York. It was initially contested over 2 miles, but its distance was later cut by 2 furlongs. The race is now held on the final day of York’s four-day Ebor Festival meeting. It is currently the most valuable flat handicap in Europe. The prize money was increased to £500,000 from the 2018 running and then to £1,000,000 from 2019, making it the first British handicap race worth £1,000,000. In connection with the prize money increase three-year-olds were excluded from the race from the 2019 running.

4:10PM THE JULIA GRAVES ROSES STAKES (CLASS 1) (Listed Race)  (CL 1) 5f 2YO £30,000.00

4:40PM HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 1m 2f 56y 3YO+ £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

5:10PM APPRENTICE HANDICAP STAKES (CLASS 2)  (CL 2) 5f 3YO £30,000.00 Rating 0-105

Did you know? York’s highest attendance for a race meeting was recorded in 1851, when a crowd estimated at 150,000 saw The Flying Dutchman, winner of the Derby and St Leger in 1849, beat Voltigeur, who took both races the following year, in the so-called Great Match. The modern era record is the 42,586 who attended one July Saturday in 2010.

The Wine Tipster hopes you enjoy the York Ebor Festival #Eborathome this year, and looks forward to providing you with tips and coverage throughout the festival. Follow him on Social Media and his Unibet Racing Blog to keep up with him! Cheers! To get The Wine Tipster’s latest blog posts straight to your inbox, subscribe here.

With the historic Qatar Goodwood Festival round the corner, The Wine Tipster looks back on the history of the festival as well as the stunning setting of the races.

The Goodwood Estate

The picturesque setting of Goodwood Racecourse is also home to Goodwood House, which is now restored to its former Regency glory; a motor circuit which has resounded to the roar of historic racing cars since 1998; a hotel and country club, aerodrome, golf club, organic farm and restaurants, and more. Covering 11,500 acres, the Goodwood Estate has a unique ambiance and air of understated glamour which has drawn people to it for three centuries of ownership by the Dukes of Richmond.

As a day out, it offers a great array of activities for all the family, but why not extend your visit and stay in The Goodwood Hotel? A stone’s throw from the cultural city of Chichester, The Goodwood Hotel offers responsible dining options from their fully sustainable farm, stunning leisure facilities, modern and beautiful rooms, and the chance to participate in the amazing activities on offer at the estate. Facilities are now open with safe distancing measures in place.

For hospitality, The Wine Tipster especially likes The Kennels – the modern central clubhouse for all of the Estate’s sporting and social members – and Farmer, Butcher, Chef, Goodwood’s onsite sustainable flagship restaurant. The unique collaboration of these three professions results in imaginative, well thought through and beautiful dishes which showcase the meat on offer and highlight the different cuts. As one of Europe’s only self-sustaining organic farms, customers will end up travelling further than the food!

Glorious Goodwood History

The Qatar Goodwood Festival – Glorious Goodwood – runs every year at the end of July to early August, with a range of top class racing taking place every day. The racecourse celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2002 and the occasion was marked by the publication of the Glorious Goodwood book and video. At the end of 2014, Goodwood Racecourse announced the biggest sponsorship deal ever in British racing involving a 10-year agreement with Qatar. The partnership, which commenced in 2015, resulted in over £2 million extra being invested into prize money for eight key races during the Qatar Goodwood Festival as well as a commitment to increase this year-on-year. Total prize money on offer for the week in 2019 came to approaching £5.6 million, with Qatar continuing to demonstrate passion and support for British racing.

The five days are filled with a number of historic races to enjoy, and a huge array of talented horses. Here are the featured races for each day of the meeting and The Glorious Five horses to watch in the 2020 festival:

Tuesday 28th July – Goodwood Cup Day

The Goodwood Cup, promoted to Group One status for the first time in 2017, is the highlight of the opening day and carries a prize fund of £500,000. First run in May of 1812, this is a British Champions Series featuring three+ year olds over two miles. The Goodwood Cup has been won by a long list of impressive and popular horses, often multiple times, including Yeats, who was without doubt one of the greatest stayers of the modern era with an unprecedented four Ascot Gold Cup triumphs to his name, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained champion was imperious in winning a second Goodwood Cup in 2008, having first triumphed in 2006.

Stradivarius won an unprecedented third consecutive title in 2019, and is one of 2020’s Glorious Five to watch. Will he make it four wins on the trot?

• 1.50pm Unibet Handicap 1m 1f 197y 4y+ £75,000
• 2.25pm Qatar Vintage Stakes (Group 2) 7f 2y £200,000
• 3.00pm Qatar Lennox Stakes (Group 2) 7f 3y+ £300,000
• 3.35pm Qatar Goodwood Cup (Group 1) (British Champions Series) 2m 3y+ £500,000
• 4.10pm European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden 6f 2y c&g £25,000
• 4.45pm Chelsea Barracks Handicap (86-105) 5f 4y+ £30,000
• 5.15pm Unibet Fillies’ Handicap (76-95) 1m 3y+ f&m £25,000
• Day’s prize money £1,155,000

Wednesday 29th July – Sussex Stakes Day

The Group One Qatar Sussex Stakes has a prize fund of £1 million, guaranteeing its position as one of the most valuable mile races in the world. The Sussex Stakes was first run as a race for two-year-olds in 1841 and remained so for 37 years, during which it was uncontested on 25 occasions, with 14 walkovers. The unbeaten three-year-old Frankel created history in 2012 by becoming the first horse to win the Qatar Sussex Stakes twice. Starting at odds of 1-20, the hottest-ever favourite in the race’s long history, the amazing colt had little difficulty in going away from his closest rival Farhh by six lengths – a joint record winning distance. The Sussex Stakes has also been won by the French sensation Solow and Too Darn Hot.

Sir Gordon Richards, with eight victories, has been the most successful jockey in the Sussex Stakes history, enjoying his first win on Marconigram in 1928 and final one on Agitator in 1952. Richards, who was knighted in 1953, made the Sussex Stakes almost his own from 1946 through to 1952, winning the mile contest five times in seven runnings.

Goodwood has played host to some equally impressive horses, jockeys and races since then, and this year is looking forward to seeing how two of The Glorious Five fare in The Qatar Sussex Stakes: Kameko and Siskin.

• 1.50pm Unibet Goodwood Handicap (0-105) 2m 4f 134y 3y+ £50,000
• 2.25pm Unibet Handicap (0-105) 1m 3f 218y 3y £75,000
• 3.00pm Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes (Group 3) 5f 2y £75,000
• 3.35pm Qatar Sussex Stakes (Group 1) (BCS) 1m 3y+ £1,000,000
• 4.10pm Alice Keppel EBF Fillies’ Conditions Race 5f 2y £50,000
• 4.45pm British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (86-105) 1m 1f 197y 3y+ f&m £30,000
• 5.20pm Qatar International Stakes for Purebred Arabians (Group 1 PA) 1m 4y+ £400,000
• 5.55pm New & Lingwood Handicap (76-95) 7f 3y+ £25,000
• Day’s prize money £1,705,000

Thursday 30th July – Ladies’ Day

The most glamorous day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is Ladies’ Day, where horseracing and fashion collide. The ladies’ amateur jockey race, the Magnolia Cup, will get the day off to an impressive start featuring 12 fearless women, and has previously        supported charities dedicated to helping women and children.

The prestigious Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes is the highlight of the eight-race card, worth £600,000. It was first run in 1840 and was named in recognition of the friendship between the fifth Duke of Richmond and the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange and Nassau. Previous winners include Ouija Board, Midday and Minding.

This year, Deirdre is one of The Glorious Five to watch in the Qatar Nassau Stakes.

• 1.15pm Magnolia Cup in Support of Wellbeing of Women 5f 110y – charity race
• 1.50pm Unibet Handicap 1m 1f 197y 3y £75,000
• 2.25pm Gordon Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3f 218y 3y £175,000
• 3.00pm Qatar Richmond Stakes (Group 2) 6f 2y c&g £200,000
• 3.35pm Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1) 1m 1f 197y 3y+ f&m £600,000
• 4.10pm Telegraph Nursery 7f 2y £25,000
• 4.45pm Markel Insurance British EBF Fillies’ Maiden 7f 2y f £25,000
• 5.20pm Tatler Handicap (76-95) 5f 3y £25,000
• Day’s prize money £1,125,000

Friday 31st July – King George Day

The £300,000 Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes is one of the highlights of the year – taken in 2019 by the hugely progressive Battaash. Battaash is one of The Glorious Five to watch in this year’s race.

A showcase for raw speed, this prestigious sprint was introduced in 1911 to mark the previous year’s succession of King George V to the British throne. The G2 King George Qatar Stakes is Goodwood’s top sprint and in 2002 was named the King George 200th Anniversary Stakes to celebrate 200 years of racing at Goodwood.

• 1.50pm Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) 7f 3y+ f&m £80,00
• 2.25pm Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3y £100,000
• 3.00pm Unibet Golden Mile Handicap 1m 3y+ £150,000
• 3.35pm King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) 5f 3y+ £300,000
• 4.10pm Unibet Nursery 6f 2y £25,000
• 4.40pm L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Glorious Stakes (Group 3) 1m 3f 218y 4y+ £100,000
• 5.15pm Goodwood Handicap (71-90) 1m 3f 44y 3y £25,000
• Day’s prize money £780,000

Saturday 1st August – Unibet Stewards Cup Day

The £250,000 Unibet Stewards’ Cup takes centre stage for the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. Previous winners of this iconic sprint include Lochsong, Dancing Star and 2019’s winner Khaadem. The six-furlong cavalry charge of the Unibet Stewards Cup is a sight to behold, with over 20 sprinters thundering down the Goodwood straight. The Wine Tipster is looking forward to this hugely competitive race on the final day of the festival.

The first official staging of the Stewards’ Cup took place in 1840, but the name actually dates back to 1834 when the senior of the two stewards officiating at Goodwood awarded a cup worth about £100 to any race of his choosing. The chosen race varied year on year, with the Cup being contested over distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile and a half.

• 1.50pm Qatar Stewards’ Sprint Handicap (Stewards’ Cup Consolation) 6f 3y+ £75,000
• 2.25pm Qatar Summer Handicap 1m 6f 3y+ £100,000
• 3.00pm Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2) 1m 6f 3y+ f&m £300,000
• 3.40pm Unibet Stewards’ Cup Heritage Handicap 6f 3y+ £250,000
• 4.15pm Qatar EBF Stallions Maiden 7f 2y c&g £30,000
• 4.50pm Qatar Handicap (86-105) 7f 3y £30,000
• 5.25pm Qatar Apprentice Handicap (76-95) 1m 1f 11y 3y+ £25,000
• Day’s prize money £810,000

If you’re looking for ideas on how to celebrate Glorious Goodwood, why not read The Wine Tipster’s blog on #GloriousAtHome here.

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