Frankie Dettori backs York's bid to upgrade City of York Stakes to Group 1

Frankie Dettori has backed York's ambitions to upgrade the Group 2 Sky Bet City of York Stakes after winning the race aboard Kinross on Saturday.

Officials at York have made no secret of their desire to make the race Britain's only all-aged Group 1 at seven furlongs and the fourth top-level contest at the Ebor meeting. They have increased the purse to £400,000 and removed the penalty structure to attract the calibre of horse to boost the race's rating enough to earn Group 1 status.

And Dettori, who guided the Marc Chan-owned and Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross to victory by a length and a quarter and a length and a half from Pogo and Sandrine, championed the track's cause.

Asked if British racing would benefit from a seven-furlong Group 1, he told ITV Racing: "In the programme we're lacking some decent races over seven [furlongs], it would open the gates for milers and sprinters. This could be an ideal race [for Group 1 status]."

In recent years Gordon Lord Byron, Expert Eye and Space Blues have won the race, while Highfield Princess was second last year, but it is the three-year rolling average end of season ratings for the first four finishers on which the race will be judged.

Space Blues: an impressive winner of last year's City of York StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

The City of York Stakes has been battling for the status as Britain's top non-juvenile 7f race with the Lennox at Goodwood, Hungerford at Newbury and Park Stakes at Doncaster, but seems the race many have decided would work best with an upgrade.

Speaking to the Racing Post last month, York chief executive William Derby said: "The Flat Pattern Committee has said they want an all-aged seven-furlong Group 1 and they've identified the City of York as the candidate.

"The ratings for our race have been very high. But to achieve Group 1 status is a challenge because you need to get Group 1 ratings while you are running as a Group 2 and a lot of the very top horses won't step down in grade. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

"We've hugely boosted the prize-money so it's the richest racecourse-funded Group 2 – the Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions day is industry funded – and it's worth more than a lot of Group 1s. And we've removed the penalties.

"Last year Space Blues won the race and then went on to win the Prix de la Foret and win at the Breeders' Cup, which was fabulous for the ratings, and we're trying to do everything to give it the best chance of an upgrade.

"It would be tremendous to have a Group 1 race on each day of the Ebor meeting. That is our aim, whether we get there and when remains to be seen."

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