York launch their 2026 owners's guide
Message from York Racecourse:
Everyone at York Racecourse very much looks forward to welcoming you to the Knavesmire for the 2026 season.
This booklet has been produced to provide connections with information prior to your visit. Please do not hesitate to contact the team if you have further queries (see page 22 for our contact details).
York Racecourse has a proud tradition of staging the very best of thoroughbred racing, dating back to 1731. York is an independent racecourse run for the good of racing. We have no beneficial shareholders and pay no dividends – everything we make is reinvested into prize money, facilities and the racing experience. Despite the current climate our long-term commitment to grow prize money will see another record investment of £12.5m across our 18-day season (an increase of over £400,000 on last year). Every race at York will have a prize fund of at least £25,000 so rewarding a wide spectrum of thoroughbreds.
Our season has 30 pattern races with a record 44 contests now offering a purse of six figures or more. The William Hill Summer Stakes (Group 3) and John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes (Group 3) are both now worth £100,000.
Our flagship meeting the Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 22 August with a record prize fund of £7.5m and every race offering at least £100,000. With a Group One on every day, the £1.5m Juddmonte International will be the richest race ever run on the Knavesmire. We are delighted that the most recent winner of the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, Gewan, was the highest rated juvenile in the world and that the Sky Bet City of York Stakes, after its first renewal as a Group 1, is already in the top 100 races in the world on ratings. The Sky Bet Ebor, probably our most famous race, will be the richest flat handicap in Europe, offering £500,000.
During the winter we have continued our investment in the racing surface, Parade Ring, Stableside complex and our box facilities. We were thrilled to welcome a record number of runners to York in 2025 and to scoop a number of awards. Such investment is only possible through your support, and we remain keen to live up to these and other accolades during the coming season.
The York Race Committee, the York team and I very much look forward to making your visit to York as enjoyable and memorable as possible. Good luck for the season ahead!
Please click here to view the 2026 Owners Guide.
For any further information please contact William Derby at York Racecourse.
[email protected]