Go Racing In Yorkshire Festival: Details including tipping challenge

Sky Bet is pleased to continue its support of the Tom O'Ryan Memorial Tipping Challenge, previously known as the 'Magnificent 7', which aims to raise a large sum for charity over the course of the festival. Sadly, the racing world lost award-winning journalist Tom O'Ryan in August last year. Tom, who was based in Brawby, was a regular competitor in the tipping challenge and Sky Bet has renamed the challenge in his honour.

Last year Sky Bet's tipping challenge raised £6,000 for three charities: the Injured Jockey Fund, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and New Beginnings, the Yorkshire-based racehorse retraining charity. Since it started in 2012, the tipping challenge has raised almost £30,000.

In 2017, Sky Bet will offer £8,100 in charity bets to the nine contestants of the Tom O'Ryan Memorial Tipping Challenge. Each contestant is given £100 to stake per day and the winnings are divided between the three charities. 

The contestants this year are former winner and ITV racing presenter Ed Chamberlin, ITV's Oli Bell, Sky Bet's Racing PR Manager Michael Shinners, At The Races and Sky Sports presenter Alex Hammond, Sportinglife.com editor Dave Ord, racing pundit Jim McGrath, well-known for his many years on Channel 4 Racing and teams from three leading Yorkshire-based trainers: Richard Fahey, David O'Meara and Mark Johnston.

The daily selections from each competitor will be posted on Skybet.com and Sportinglife.com. The leaderboard will be available here.  

Sky Bet once again sponsors the card at York on Saturday, July 29. The seven-race programme promises to be an exciting day with £235,000 in prize money up for grabs. The highlight of Saturday's races is the £120,000 G2 Sky Bet York Stakes run over 10 furlongs which has been won by Time Test (2016), Mukhadram (2013) and Twice Over (2011). The racing is followed by a set from All Saints, the famous 90s all girl pop band that enjoyed such hits as Never Ever in 1997.

The Go Racing in Yorkshire Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, and the eight-day extravaganza has racedays across the county. 

The festival starts at Ripon and moves to Redcar on Sunday, July 23, which is Help For Heroes Day. 

On Monday, July 24 there will be evening racing at Beverley, which is Carnival Night and features samba dancers, New York Band and carnival floats.

Catterick plays host to a relaxed summer afternoon of racing on Wednesday, July 26, while on Thursday, July 27, there is evening action at Doncaster, with a DJ set from Radio 1's Scott Mills after racing.

Friday, 28 July sees racing in the afternoon and evening. Thirsk hosts the afternoon's sport, while the evening action will take place in York, with a live performance from Jess Glynne after racing. 

The festival comes to a close Sunday, 30 July with a family day at Pontefract, where there will be a picnic area with a bouncy castle and children's rides. 

Michael Shinners of Sky Bet said: "Sky Bet is delighted to once again support the Go Racing In Yorkshire Festival. Since the inception of our tipping competition in 2012, we have raised close to £30,000. 

"Tom O'Ryan was an extremely well-respected man, and the voice of Northern racing. Sky Bet are delighted to re-name our tipping competition in his honour, and hopefully it will raise a significant sum for the three nominated charities - the Injured Jockeys' Fund, New Beginnings and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

"The Sky Bet York Stakes is the highlight of the seven-race programme sponsored by Sky Bet at York on Saturday, July 29, and we are looking forward to another high-class renewal of the 10-furlong contest in 2017."