William Derby and Anthea Leigh - big meeting ahead

Sky Bet Ebor Festival: York ready to take centre stage

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Sun August 17, 2025 · 4M ago

I’m speaking to William Derby in the departure lounge of Dublin Airport after a two-day dash around Ireland visiting a host of top trainers to get their plans for the Sky Bet Ebor Festival next week.

The York chief executive and clerk of the course has been front and centre of the visit, taking a big interest in all the feedback that comes his way. In between he’s been answering countless phone calls and emails, from the staff back home, owners, trainers, even jockeys looking for accommodation in the great city.

It’s enough to make my head join the injured right shoulder in throbbing.

We’re talking in hushed tones, Gate 333 is heaving as those bound for the bright lights of Leeds join a disgruntled bunch waiting on a delayed flight to Birmingham, but Derby is running on adrenaline now, seven days out from the start of his biggest four days of the calendar year.

“It’s hugely exciting, lots of plans coming together, especially on the international side. We have Asfoora who is over from Australia, Danon Decile for the Juddmonte International which has been years in the planning, and I’m delighted to see him here.

“It’s been almost a decade in the planning to get the Sky Bet City Of York Stakes upgraded to Group One status too, all the way from Listed level, and there’s a great deal of excitement looking ahead to that on the final day.

“I’m really looking forward to the racing,” he smiles.

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So what of the key metrics by which all major meetings seem to be judged nowadays, well the ones he can control anyway: prize-money, attendance and going?

“Prize money-wise we’re at a record level, just over £7million on offer, the richest meeting we’ve ever staged. In terms of international broadcast interest, we’re into more countries than ever before and a record level of media crews will be on site and a record number of media accreditations issued.

“Ticket sales, we’re a whisker ahead of where we were this time last year. People can come and pay on the day if they want, famously for £15 into the middle of the course into the Clocktower Enclosure. No, we’re in a good position and we want the sun to continue to shine and the horses to turn up and we’re looking forward to what should be a great flagship for racing in the north of England and hopefully a beacon for the Flat season in Britain.

“A week out the going is good, good to firm in places and the track looks magnificent. We have a settled forecast, watering has started, and we know what we’re facing rather than having any great uncertainty in terms of potential significant rain in the build-up.”

And it feels York has momentum too, not only from successful meetings at Royal Ascot and the Qatar Goodwood Festival, but through their own season to date.

“It’s been really good, really successful. We’ve seen some brilliant performances, not least See The Fire winning the Middleton Stakes, and we’ve had big fields everywhere and have been blessed by good weather.

“Attendances have been good, nicely up on all bar a couple of racedays, it’s been a good year so far but this is the week that defines our year.

“Among the team who I work with, 1600 through the week, there’s a lot of excitement running through us and we’re determined to deliver on a global sporting stage. The focus is on us for four days and we’re excited about that.”

When the BHA unveiled the 2026 fixture list one of the key elements was looking to showcase the big summer Group One races with a minimum of £200,000 prize-money to be added to the July Cup, King George, Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International.

Not surprisingly the York supremo feels it’s a necessary- nay vital - move.

“It’s hugely important and something we’ve worked closely with both Goodwood and Ascot on We really want to focus on those big summer championship Group Ones that we stage over six furlongs, a mile, a mile-and-a-quarter and a mile-and-a-half so we will be looking to invest more into our richest race to attract more of the best bloodstock from around the world.

“I’ve been to Japan once a year over the last decade or so and have built those relationships alongside Ed Arkell and Nick Smith from Goodwood and Ascot. I saw Danon Decile win the Sheema Classic in Dubai in the spring and I’m thrilled they’ve accepted the challenge to come and run in the Juddmonte International.

“It’s a pleasure for me to have seen him in Newmarket working so well, a big, imposing, chestnut horse and they’ve got great hopes of him. Take a form line through Calandagan etc then this Japanese Derby winner looks the real deal, and I think he’ll perform with merit.”

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Will Lord Allen? His start-date as the new chair of the BHA is now on the horizon.

It was delayed by nearly three months as he made proposed major changes to the governance of the sport a key requirement of him taking up the role. Last month it was finally confirmed he was ready to start with a fully independent BHA board to be created.

So what does Derby think?

“I think the hard work starts now. Those changes have been accepted by the stakeholders and Lord Allen is now coming in on September 1. Form York’s point of view, as a racecourse who over the last 300 years has tried to produce the best in British Flat racing, it’s important there’s a long-term view taken for the health of the sport,” he said.

“There are some worrying indicators out there for racing and everyone is aware of that and it’s important that the governing body of the sport is strong, powerful and able to make changes for the benefit of the long-term future of the sport.

“What shape they take we’ll see in the coming months and years and there’s a lot of work still to be done but we wish Lord Allen well and will be supportive of the governing body of our sport, the BHA, and will contribute where we are asked to. I think racing has so many positives, it’s about focusing on how we grow the sport in the future though.”

Then of course there’s the Treasury proposals to harmonise online gambling taxes which has sparked the ‘Racing Tax’ campaign. The BHA warn it could lead to a £330 million hit to racing’s finances over the next five years.

“I’m very positive about the sport but feel we have to work with our partners across betting to make sure the long-term future and funding of the sport is there and finding the way it thrives as a betting medium is very important,” Derby warned.

“We are very proud of our partnership with Sky Bet which has helped drive the Ebor Festival forward and we would want to ensure nothing is done to harm our betting partners and want to make sure any changes that the government want to make, really appreciate the symbiotic relationship between racing and our betting partners.

“Like all things in life, you need to make sure people work within their limits but I think betting is a fantastic pastime that we should be supporting, look to be proud of and educate people on how solving the puzzle of who’s going to win a horse race is an intellectually stimulating pastime that many people love and enjoy."

Never more so than at York during Ebor week.

With that we’re called forward to board. The Birmingham mob aren’t happy as we snake through but that’s one problem that Derby doesn’t have to deal with.

Here's hoping he and his team don't have many more and are able to enjoy another sparkling four days on and off the track. The final summer Flat festival is looming large.