Money, money, money: at least £100,000 on offer for all races at Ebor meeting as York announces record prize fund

Every race at the Ebor meeting will be worth at least £100,000 this year after York announced a record prize fund for 2023.

All contests at the track throughout the season will have purses of £20,000 or more, up from a minimum of £15,000 last year, as part of a total of £10.75 million on offer across the course's 18 racedays.

That is a rise of £750,000 on 2022 and compares to £8.9m four years ago and £6.2m in 2014. It comes despite a reduction in Levy Board funding which means the executive contribution has risen 15 per cent this season.

The 28 races at the flagship Ebor meeting in August will carry a total of £6.395m, with the biggest single boost the extra £100,000 which will make the Sky Bet City of York Stakes worth £500,000. 

The City of York is the richest racecourse-funded Group 2 in Britain and the increase strengthens York's bid to support a possible upgrade of the seven-furlong contest by offering a Group 1 prize fund.

A £50,000 rise to the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur means all four Group 2 contests at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival will be worth at least £250,000. The Group 1 Juddmonte International will continue to have a £1m purse, with the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe, Yorkshire Oaks and Sky Bet Ebor offering £500,000.

The Juddmonte International will be worth £1 million again in 2023Credit: Edward Whitaker

Across the season all Listed races will be run for at least £70,000 (up from £60,000) and all Group 3 races for a minimum of at least £85,000 (from £80,000). Thirty-nine of the 126 races run at York in 2023 will offer at least a six-figure prize and every card will be worth at least £200,000.

Reacting to the news, Racehorse Owners Association chief executive Charlie Liverton said: "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.”

Karl Burke, who was top trainer at York last year, 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.”

York chairwoman Bridget Guerin said ”We are incredibly grateful for the support of our sponsors, racegoers and partners that allows York 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."

York has also installed a new drainage and localised irrigation system for the stands' side turf canter-down, upgraded the overall watering system and improved the equine walkways and kitchen at the stables complex.

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