Runner at the Ebor Festival?
Message from William Derby:
We are pleased to be back racing on the Knavesmire, albeit behind closed doors, operating under the UK Government Stage 3 Elite Sport protocols. I look forward to welcoming you to York to watch your horse run.
To enable us to ensure that all of the appropriate arrangements are in place and minimise risk for owners, it is vital that you provide us with the details of all those who will be attending by no later than 4pm on the day before the race meeting. Unfortunately, in line with the Government’s protocols, if you have not pre-registered yourself and your guests, we will not be allowed to admit you into the racecourse. Please use the Racecourse PASS System to do this, via https://www.rcapass.com If you do not have access to the PASS System, or need any assistance in its use, please contact the PASS Helpdesk on 01933 270333 or [email protected]
To assist you on the day, I am pleased to set out below the arrangements that are in place for Owners with a horse running at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival 2020:
Travel and car parking - The Owners’ Car Park for this meeting has been relocated to the front of Car Park D. This car park is usually our Annual Badgeholders’ car park and is behind the grandstands in the shadow of the Terry’s Clocktower (sat nav postcode YO23 1EX) and then proceed down the pedestrian steps to the racecourse entrance.
There will be Owners’ toilet facilities available on arrival. Should you choose to arrive by helicopter, please can you contact Helicopter & Aviation Services Ltd on 01373 858535 / www.helipad.co.uk
Health screening - The Owners’ Entrance and Accreditation has been relocated to the main County Stand/Marble Entrance under the white footbridge on the road behind the grandstands. Gate opening time is from 11.45am. You are very welcome to stay for the whole raceday.
All owners will need to complete a two-stage screening process. This includes the ROA’s COVID-19 online learning module, followed by health questions and a temperature check on arrival at the racecourse. The ROA COVID-19 module can be accessed here: https://www.roa.co.uk/raceday/covid19/return/elearning.html
Entry - All owners and their guests must bring Photo ID with them to the racecourse. It is not essential to bring your PASS Card but please do bring your QR code from the PASS system in order to gain entry. Given the circumstances, there will be no formal dress code for this fixture.
Rachel Blizzard ([email protected]) will be on hand to welcome you into the racecourse. This is also your exit route at the end of the day.
Owners' badge allocation – The Government protocols impose a limit on the number of owners badges we can issue. For this meeting, we are pleased to offer a single owner, partnership or syndicate with a runner a total of six complimentary Owners’ badges.
York have increased the allocation of badges per horse (up to 6) and are being very flexible with partnerships and syndicates if more badges are required. Syndicate or Partnership managers should contact Rachel Blizzard with all “test and trace” details of potential attendees.
Owners’ facilities – We really want to make the Owners’ experience as good as it can be at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival 2020 during these times. Alison Dalby (07796 335125) will be on hand within the Owners’ Zone throughout the day should you have any questions.
The Owners’ Lounge, on the second floor of the Ebor Stand, is light and airy with seating, toilets, viewing seats overlooking the winning post. The Lounge is available throughout the raceday for race viewing and has a pay bar with contactless/credit card facilities. Complimentary tea and coffee for owners during the afternoon is available from both the Owners’ Lounge in the Ebor Stand and the blue coffee van by the parade ring. As an additional area, the normal Owners’ Club on the first floor of the Melrose Stand will be open for viewing and additional seating, but please note that the hospitality is in the Ebor Stand. There will now also be tote and bookmakers on site in the Owners’ area.
The trackside viewing lawns in front of the stands will be fully accessible to Owners, as will viewing from the outside of the parade ring. The big screens by the winning post, on the end of the Melrose Stand, and around the course will follow the action. There are “debrief zones” to meet with trainers before and after the race by the Thatched Head-On Box as well as along from the placed horses’ rail around the parade ring by the coffee van. Winning and placed owners will be hosted in the ground floor of the Melrose Stand adjacent to the parade ring after the race to watch a re-run of the race with a glass of fizz.
We have tried to minimise as much as possible the “Green Zone” - to which unfortunately you are not permitted to enter under the Government protocols. This area is restricted to trainers, jockeys, accredited media and officials and is confined to the area outside the weighing room, Frankel statue, pre-parade ring and inside the parade ring. As you know, very unfortunately, we are simply not allowed under the rules to accommodate owners in the parade ring or pre-parade ring currently due to the health protocols under the UK Government Stage 3 Elite Sport protocols.
Dining Facilities for Owners at the Ebor Festival 2020 – We are pleased that, following the recent change in Government guidelines, we can now offer owners a complimentary three-course sit down lunch with a complimentary drink on arrival in the fourth floor Ebor Stand Owners’ Restaurant. There will be the facility to pay for further drinks with your meal. Tables will be allocated from the Owners’ reception desk in the second floor Owners’ Lounge as they become available. Whilst tables in the restaurant cannot be allocated for the whole day, the wider Owners’ facilities will be available throughout the afternoon’s racing. Lunch will be served on the fourth floor of the Ebor Stand from 12 noon.
Please visit our website for information and up to date going and live weather updates at www.yorkracecourse.co.uk/owners-trainers.html or twitter: @YorkClerk