Robbie Lee sets the scene ahead of the latest edition of the Sky Bet-backed Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival with horses, trainers and jockeys to follow.
With the height of summer delivering weather-wise and the 2025 Flat season as busy as ever, there’s no better way to bask in our sport than the Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival. A string of competitive meetings on eight afternoon/evenings across a nine-day period starts with Pontefract’s night fixture this Friday, running right through to the following Saturday’s big finale at York.
There is a plethora of activity during the key week to help bring the Summer Festival to life - including live post-race music from Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Natasha Bedingfield next Friday evening at the Knavesmire, followed by Ronan Keating 24 hours later.
To kick the week off, a Queen tribute is playing on the opening night after racing at Pontefract. This show – now in its 17th edition and once again backed by Sky Bet in support of chosen charity Racing Welfare – must and will go on.
The annual ‘Paddock & Chips’ competition is back for another round, jockeys showing their footballing skills in and around the winners’ enclosure before racing. Look out for David ‘Messi’ Allen in this particular arena.
On Friday 25th there is the Graham Lee IJF Fund Stable Staff Stakes at Thirsk in which 10 stable lads and lasses get their chance to shine in a race, after being led up by professional jockeys. An entertaining role-reversal provides the hard-working staff an opportunity to show off their race-riding skills on track, all in support of their friend and weighing-room colleague, Graham Lee.
All nine Yorkshire tracks play host to at least one meeting throughout the Festival and some of the county’s finest horses, trainers and riders will be on display providing fans with some thrilling competition. Home to some of the most famous courses in the country, Yorkshire boasts not only high-quality racing but some amazing facilities and beautiful backdrops to enhance the raceday experience.
The top Yorkshire tracks
York is unquestionably the best track in terms of quality of racing. Home to the Sky Bet Ebor Festival and the Dante meeting in May, it hosts many top-class races, including the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, the 2024 Longines World’s Best Horserace. With the finest quality grandstands, local food, no shortage of refreshment choices and flowers blooming around every corner, a racegoer’s experience doesn’t get much better than a day at York.
A smaller track than York but this beautiful course has many features making it a special place to visit. Home to the prestigious Great St. Wilfrid Stakes and the Two-Year-Old Trophy, Ripon stages competitive racing and offers a unique test in the form of its deceivingly undulating straight. From the fine stands steeped in history, lined with colourful flower beds, and excellent views of the whole course, Ripon is an extremely worthy day out.
Beverley is another relatively small course which hosts action-packed racing, the feature being the Listed Beverley Bullet over five furlongs. The Westwood venue offers a fantastic day out for racegoers and there’s a variety of viewing options.
Jockeys to Follow
The four-time Group 1 winner is on course to have his best season statistically. He currently sits fourth on the Flat Jockeys’ Championship leaderboard and is in close proximity to William Buick in second. With John and Sean Quinn primarily backing Hart, he will find himself busy during the Summer Festival as the Malton-based duo will be sure to send many horses to their local tracks. Hart will be looking to continue his successful year and is naturally one to watch.
Classic-winning rider Danny Tudhope has a very talented pair of hands and is unquestionably one of the standout riders in the county. He has won many races worldwide at the top level and the main supplier of his rides during the Festival will come from Upper Helmsley trainer David O’Meara. He will undoubtedly be amongst the winners once again.
Perhaps a slightly lower platform than Hart and Tudhope but Joanna Mason’s season is not one to be ignored. A winner on Derby day and successful in a £125,000 handicap sprint at York, she is showing herself to be one of the best riders in ‘God’s own county’. Riding for her grandad and racing legend Mick Easterby, as well as his son David, she will be busy at the Summer Festival with the Sheriff Hutton yard sure to send horses to many of the Yorkshire tracks.
The current 5lb-claiming apprentice is having a fantastic start to life as a jockey. He has already ridden for some of racing’s biggest trainers and connections, and also rode a winner on Derby day at Epsom, claiming the Betfred 3YO “Dash”. His claim can be used to great effect at his year’s Festival and is without doubt the apprentice to watch.
Trainers to Follow
The Middleham-based trainer is in hot form right now and is currently not showing any signs of slowing down. His strike-rate in recent weeks is impressive and he will be keen to keep the ball rolling in order to have a great Summer Festival ahead of what is always a busy week for team Johnston down at Goodwood.
This year’s Royal Ascot-winning trainer has some of the best horses housed at his stunning Middleham yard and he is regularly in the winners’ enclosure. Burke will almost certainly be among the winners at this year’s Summer Festival and he is always going to be a trainer to follow in some of the top races.
The Malton-based Camacho is another trainer in flying form for the peak of summer. After a quieter time of things in 2024, the winners are now flowing with great regularity and the Group 1-winning yard will be hoping that strike-rate continues for as long as possible. There is a depth of firepower within the team and it could be a busy period featuring plenty of success.
Horses to Follow
DAN TUCKER (Trainer: Jedd O’Keeffe)
The three-year-old gelding is proving to be a very consistent sort this year. He got off the mark at the second time of asking this season and was a bit unlucky at York last time out when beaten a short-head by the front-running Forager. He is up 5lbs for that effort to a new mark of 84 but he can continue to build his profile and should get his head in front again soon.
STORM PASSAGE (David O’Meara)
It has been a quiet enough start to life for this four-year-old who only made his debut in April. After running green on debut he finishing tenth of 13, beaten over seven lengths, but it wasn't a run devoid or promise. He was too keen in the early stages and was sat in last but got the hang of things late on and finished well enough, showing some (albeit limited) ability. The next two runs both saw him finish fourth, again sitting a bit too far back in early stages and finishing reasonably well. With an opening mark of just 59, he may be one for the handicaps where he can take his form up a notch or two.
CROWN’S LADY (Ed Bethell)
Changed hands from Craig Lidster to Ed Bethell before this season and has continued her solid record with two wins, two seconds and a third from five outings so far. She has been raised 9lb for her efforts this year but may still be improving and can progress even further.
LUMENBOURG (Julie Camacho)
This very consistent performer has placed in four of his six runs this season. He was a good third the last day at Doncaster when beaten only half a length by a horse that was on a very dangerous mark. He is rated 58 and a drop back into a Class 6 should see this gelding run a big race.
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