Racecourse Profile – York
Located, naturally enough, in Yorkshire the racing dates back to Roman times and has been at its current site since the eighteenth century. York racecourse is widely considered as the best Flat racecourse in the North of England with a capacity of 60,000 spectators and is the reigning UK Racecourse of the Year. It hosts some big races across the season including the Dante Festival which hosts major trials for the Derby and the Oaks later in the season. There is of course also the Ebor Festival which runs in August with plenty of Group 1 races taking place.
The track is effectively oval(ish) with various chutes allowing for a multitude of starting points for many different distances. It’s known as a galloping track and the 5f and 6f races are run on the straight. Races run from 5 furlongs to an almost 2m2f which is a couple of furlongs over a full circuit of the track.
As the Dante Festival runs in May it would seem the logical place to begin our look at York Racecourse.
These are the top trainers over the last five years at the Dante Festival.
Adrian Keatley’s profit does mostly come from a big winner last year with Secret Hideaway winning the Marygate Fillies Stakes at 33/1 (BSP 53.54). For all that though, he has had a winner in four of the last five years. The others were in handicaps where his record is a decent 3/13 for almost 11 points profit.
Andrew Balding recorded a loss last season but has picked up some nice winners over the past five years here. Despite two losing years the winning years saw profits of 12.44, 16.61 and 26.54 points in 2021, 2023 and 2024 respectively. He has just one win in fourteen Handicap races although it was a good one with a 16/1 back in 2023.
Non Handicap is where he has excelled though, stakes races in particular as opposed to maiden and novice races where he is 0 for 4. In those he has profited in four of the five years, with no runners in 2022. In all he is 6 for 14 for 47.89 points of profit.
Ed Bethell’s winners have been one in each of the last three years and from just seven runs in total, so one to certainly take a note of if he has entries this year.
Callum Rodriguez has been on board for all three of the wins. Of further note is that he has won the Oakmere Home Hambleton Handicap in 2024 and 2025.
John Gosden’s record is somewhat patchy across the last five years. One stat worth noting is that when the going is good (the good get going – sorry, couldn’t resist!). When the going is good his record is a very solid 6 for 16 for 15.66 points profit with 10 of them placing.
Finally, Richard Hannon Jnr has had three winning years from the five, 2021, 2023 and 2025 with no winners from 7 in the even numbered years. Those believing in omens can move along to the next section now! All his winners have come from Handicap, Maiden and Novices races. From those race types he is 3 from 9 in 2 year old races. Taking two race wins last year, both with Shane Foley on board.
Let’s see if there are some trends we can use to whittle down the field in a couple of the big races at the Festival.
We’ll start with the Duke of York Stakes and these are from the last ten editions of the race.
- Only 4 and 5 year olds have won the race. 10/10. All other ages are 0 for 33.
- All winners had either not run yet this season or run just once. 10/10. All others are 0 for 17.
- None of the winners have ever run more than twice at the track. 10/10. All others are 0 for 32.
- All winners came from stalls 1 to 9. 10/10. All other stalls are 0 for 26
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