York is a major racecourse in the UK, both in terms of races held there amount of money earned there. It is ranked third in Britain for earnings.
Located in York City of the no-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, the flat race type course has hosted a good number of high-profile racing events. It has also won an impressive number of accolades, among them the Flat Racecourse of the year and the Times Newspaper survey of Racecourses in Britain.
History
York city had horse activity as long as 2000 years ago, during the times of Emperor Severus. However, the track itself has records starting five centuries ago in 1530. It thus holds a lot of racing legend, notably that or the race on a frozen River Ouse in 1607. An upgrade was made to the stands in 1890, but the major development plan was formulated in 1962. This led to the construction of major grandstands, which were developed without hurry and opened between 1965 and 2003.
The Course
York specializes in flat races, allowing racehorses to bud or revive their careers over long straight stretches and tricky left and right turns. It has 180 stables that have seen scores of horses come and go.
The excellently developed viewing grandstands make viewing an exciting experience, and are probably part reason for the course which welcomes an estimated 350, 000 people annually. Pope John Paul II was once a visitor here, where in 1982 he conducted an open air mass. It is dotted with flowers which dot the scene and make the scene full off life especially in the summer.
Races
The Dante Stakes, International Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes and the Ebor Handicap are the major events held here. These races offer quite high winnings, and thus attract some of the best racehorses from the UK and beyond.
Famous horses who have graced the track include The Flying Dutchman, Sea of The Stars, Brigadier Gerard and Franke.