Frozen ticket prices, and hopefully warmer weather - York gets ready to welcome healthy crowd to Dante meeting

Frozen ticket prices have helped put York in a prime position for its first fixture of 2024, with the crowd for the Dante festival anticipated to be up on last season.

A total of 30,749 racegoers headed to the Knavesmire for the three-day meeting last May, up 500 from the previous year, and for a third year ticket prices have remained at £25 for grandstand and paddock, £40 in the County stand and just £8 in the Clocktower enclosure. 

Competitive pricing has helped grow interest in the meeting, according to the track's chief executive William Derby.

He said: "We're really excited for the racing and we're thrilled with the declarations, the Group races look fantastic. It's a great time of year.

"It's never our biggest meeting of the season but we're expecting a good crowd, we're a touch ahead with our pre-sales for the meeting. That's great because it's a tricky market, we've held our prices for the third year in a row for this meeting. 

William Derby: York's chief executiveCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"It's a tough leisure market but people are enjoying getting out and the good weather returning has helped people consider going Flat racing. It should be a great week."

Last week's hot weather is not set to be repeated, though, with a mix of showers and bright spells in the forecast for the week. The ground at York is good to firm, good in places after a wet Tuesday and further rainfall is expected to arrive in the build-up to Wednesday's card.

Derby, who is also York's clerk, said on Tuesday: "We walked the track at 6am and it was good to firm, good in places. It started raining at 7.50am and it's stayed steady through the day. It clears this evening then showers are possible on Wednesday morning. It'll be largely cloudy, with the chance of the odd shower, through racing.

"We're due more normal May weather after that, the high pressures would've left and it'll be about 16-17C. We'll get brighter spells and showers on the whole."

Read these next:

'I'm very excited about him' - Karl Burke eyes Dante crack with Caviar Heights but drying ground would be a concern 

'If it went soft she wouldn't run' - overnight rain puts participation of Lockinge favourite Inspiral in doubt 

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