York scoops top prize at racecourse awards while Kelso recognised for stellar customer service

York was crowned the overall champion at the Racecourse Association’s 13th annual Showcase Awards on Thursday night.

It also came out on top in 2015 and joins Aintree and Ascot, the only other multiple winners.

The course won the Racing Connection Award for its work with the Professional Jockeys Association and Great British Racing to connect the public with riders while its Bustardthorpe development earned it the Racing Foundation Green Award.

York was announced the overall champion at a black-tie ceremony attended by over 200 guests at the Signet Library in Edinburgh, which staged the awards on behalf of 2023 winner Musselburgh.

Chief executive William Derby said: “I am very pleased, very honoured and very humbled.

“It’s very poignant as this year we lost Kevin Upton, who gave more than 30 years’ service to the grounds team and lost his long battle with cancer in July. We’re all thinking of him tonight.”

Rishi Persad and world record-holding rower Taylor Winyard hosted an event which is designed to celebrate British racecourses and presented in partnership with Great British Racing, Racing Together, the Racing Foundation and the Racing Post.

The Racing Post readers’ award, in which voters rank tracks on the grounds of customer service, value for money and overall experience, went to Kelso.

It was a good night for Yorkshire, with Beverley, Ripon, Pontefract and Go Racing In Yorkshire all winning awards.

RCA chair Wilf Walsh said: “Congratulations to William Derby and the York racecourse team. York provides a unique, top-quality racegoing experience to its visitors and the course always performs at an extremely high level, setting exceptional standards.

“Racecourse teams work exceptionally hard to deliver fantastic days out. All our Showcase winners and highly commended are quite rightly celebrated and the RCA looks forward to sharing the best-in-class practice in the months ahead.”

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