York Racecourse is delighted to announce a record prize fund of £10.75m for the 18 days of the 2023 season.  This builds on the record prize fund of 2022, which delivered a record number of runners and an average field size of 11.88, the highest of any racecourse in the UK.

As part of York’s ongoing commitment to attract the best horses to the Knavesmire and support British racing, this investment is some £2m, or 20% higher than 2019, and surpasses the equivalent figure for last year by £750,000.  Significantly, this is a 15% year on year increase in executive contribution to prize money by York, given that Levy Board funding will be lower this year.  All 18 of York’s racedays will offer at least £200,000 in reward to connections.

Every race at York will now be worth at least £20,000 (up from £15,000), with increases on all racedays over a broad range of contests from maidens and developmental races to pattern races and feature handicaps.  All Listed races will be run for at least £70,000 (up from £60,000) and all Group 3 races will be at least £85,000 (up from £80,000). 

Through the support of Darley, Juddmonte, the European Breeders’ Fund and the BHA Development Fund, an additional six-figure investment has been targeted at developmental maiden and novice races, to boost a dozen contests across the season to between £20,000 and £40,000.  The British EBF Ruby Jubilee Convivial and two Sky Bet sponsored nurseries at the Ebor Festival have been increased from £80,000 to £100,000, making them the richest developmental races of their type in British racing.

The Group 2 Sky Bet City of York Stakes will receive the biggest single boost to £500,000 (up from £400,000), making it the richest racecourse funded Group 2 in the UK.  York Racecourse is making a concerted effort to support a possible upgrade of this seven furlong contest by effectively offering a Group 1 prize fund.  The race achieved a Group 1 rating of 115.50 in 2022, with the victory of Kinross following in the hoofprints of multiple Group 1 winner, Space Blues, in 2021.

A £50,000 injection to the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur prize fund means all four Group 2 contests at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival will be worth at least £250,000.  The Group 1 Juddmonte International, won by Baaeed, the world’s highest rated turf horse in 2022, will continue to have a £1m purse.  The Coolmore Wotton Bassett Nunthorpe, Yorkshire Oaks and Sky Bet Ebor will continue to have a prize fund of £500,000.

For the first time, all 28 races at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival are to have a minimum prize fund of £100,000 (up from £80,000) meaning a total of 39 of the 126 races run at York in 2023 will offer at least a six-figure prize.

New for 2023 is a BHA fixture on Saturday 23 September, with a prize fund of £200,000.  The race programme has been carefully constructed in consultation with the BHA to be respectful of other tracks racing that day so as to focus on horses competing in the Class 3 and 4 handicap arena.

Ahead of the season, York has continued to invest in the racing surface and facilities for horses and their handlers.  A six-figure project has seen a new drainage and localised irrigation system added into the standside turf canter-down which is located adjacent to the racing surface, which should ensure horses travel to the start on the best possible surface.  The irrigation system on the whole racing surface has been further upgraded using the best in sprinkler technology from Hunter, the Californian based supplier.  The Stableside complex has benefited from ongoing investment in improved equine walkways, as well as in an upgrade to the kitchen which delivers home-cooked, complimentary meals to Stable staff.

The reigning Top Trainer at York, Karl Burke, said “York is a favourite place for our Owners and our team to visit, it is the ongoing investment into both prize money and the raceday experience that makes it so popular.  I am particularly pleased to see that the prize money increases will reach a lot of different types of horses which can only be a good thing.”

Commenting as the Chief Executive of the Racehorse Owners Association, Charlie Liverton said “York earned our Gold Standard Award last year and the many positives in this announcement indicate it should be another strong year on the Knavesmire.  Offering such healthy prize money to such a broad church of Owners is hugely welcome and I commend the York team for their consistent support in this area.”

Chairman of York Racecourse, 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 approaching £11m in prize money to British Racing.  Facing up to the ongoing economic challenges, we wanted to demonstrate a commitment to the best in our sport.  We now look forward to welcoming horses and their connections to the Knavesmire.  I am confident they will repay this record investment by sending their stars to York for us all to enjoy.  They are assured of a warm Yorkshire welcome.”