'We all need to pull together' - tough summer ahead as York crowd falls again

York revealed a significantly reduced crowd for the second day in a row and warned that racing has work to do to ensure numbers hold up this summer.

The attendance was about 6,750 on Wednesday and "a little north of 10,000" on Thursday, both figures around 2,500 down on 2019 when the meeting was last staged with racegoers.

Three years ago the Wednesday of the meeting attracted 9,554 and the Thursday 12,481.

James Brennan, York head of marketing and sponsorship, said: "One part of the difference is that we now count annual badgeholders, whereas we used to just estimate that two-thirds came. That accounts for about 500 of the drop.

"Given that we were up on advance bookings, the fall is in walk-ups. Yesterday there was a 50 per cent drop and today it was 40 per cent.

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"Part of that yesterday was down to the miserable weather that hit us at the wrong time, but we have to be honest and face up that this is a challenge for racing, as it is for every leisure venue."

York is just the latest course to reveal a downturn in attendances, which has been a notable trend across tracks this spring.

Brennan added: "We all need to pull together and do our best. We think people have come here today and enjoyed the product. We're investing in the prize-money to get the right horses for people to come and enjoy.

"Connections, the racing media and racecourses are all going to have to work hard this summer to spread the gospel that it's a great thing to come and do because we're battling under cost-of-living pressure."

Brennan pointed to economic and post-Covid effects on racecourse attendance.

"We had a staycation benefit last year and this year people can go away on holiday," he said. "And there are now all the new things people haven't been able to do in the last two years – people are reopening venues and there are a lot more things that are competing for the leisure pound.

"And the number of leisure pounds out there is dwindling as heating bills, fuel bills and everything else are going up."

York chief executive William Derby looks over the paddock before the Hambleton StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

No watering plans but a dry Friday forecast

Officials at York are unlikely to water the track ahead of the third and final day of the Dante meeting despite a dry forecast and blustery winds expected at the course on Friday.

The going is currently good following the first two days, but conditions could quicken up with winds up to 38mph expected and no rainfall due overnight.

Raceday clerk of the course Anthea Leigh said: "It's a bit drier than it was on Wednesday, but we're holding on to good ground. We're forecast to be a little warmer on Friday but the winds will make it feel cooler.

"We have no plans to water at the moment, but we will have a debrief about it on Thursday night. We may have good to firm bits in places on Friday."

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