LIMITED DAMAGE THANKFULLY

A decade has passed quickly by since the extra day was added to the York Ebor meeting. It was a move that disappointed many traditionalists who considered it needless, as well detrimental to what was to many the most enjoyable meeting in the calendar.

Although the days had long gone since the Tuesday was unique in that it was the only day of the UK season when, in the Benson  and Hedges Gold Cup and Yorkshire Oaks, there was more than one Group One race on a card, the fixture still had a special edge about it. Many probably don't realise that the Yorkshire Oaks moved from the Tuesday as long ago as the 1980's!

But the meddling with the meeting was not complete, as shortly after the Ebor was moved from its customary Wednesday slot to be lost in the general Saturday sporting mix.

It would appear that the move of the feature handicap was instigated by the much maligned Racing For Change, a group that seemingly made changes for change sake to justify their existence. Making the numbers bigger on saddle cloths (how many people look for the number as opposed to the jockey's colours !) and thinking the appeal of the game would be enhanced by listing the full christian names of jockeys and trainers. 

Of course, this is not to escape the fact that it was the powers that be at York that had the final say in choosing to adopt the suggestion, which should not have been too surprising given they had recently towed the line with other courses by adding music nights and new fixtures that were too trashy for a course of its standing.  

One saving grace is that the extra day has not signalled a notable dilution of the quality on show. To emphasise this point, contrast the present make up of the card with that of forty years back.

The 1979 staging of the meeting had twenty one races over the three days, only four short of this week's equivalent - now without that damn two year old selling race that many would say had no place at such a glittering event, though it was always above your run of the mill seller and would be targeted by the crafty type of handler.

The Tuesday of 1979 opened with the seven furlong Knaveshmire Nursery. This race has now been replaced by a similar category of race a furlong shorter. The one mile Rose of York Handicap has been run under various titles but is still alive and well. The year of 1979 witnessed an excellent renewal with Joe Mercer arriving late  on the Henry Cecil trained Piaffer to get up by a head to beat Piggot on the Jeremy Tree trained, JockWhitney owned, three year old Baptism.

For anyone not present at the venue in the flesh, then there could never be a time that more trust was needed in the accuracy of the Raceform race reader comments for industrial action meant that there was no televised coverage.

On to the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup. Arguably the most successful newly introduced race in the past half century, the superb Troy landed the odds by three quarters of a length from the game, free running, Crimson Beau. This would be the Derby winner's final race in England, only appearing once more when beaten in the Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe.

Then to the Yorkshire Oaks, and another for the Cecil/ Mercer combination with Connaught Bridge running out the winner, with the short price favourite Godetia, representing M V O'Brien and Piggott, finishing tailed off in last place.

It would not be the happiest week for Ballydoyle, with Thatching going on to lose Thursday's William Hill Sprint Championship in the stewards room. 

The Acomb Stakes followed the Yorkshire Oaks, and the stewards also had a say in this one when the colt who would go on to be runner up in the  following year's Epsom Derby, Master Willie, passed the post first but was disqualified for causing interference.

Master Willie was one of the many high class animals Henry Candy trained for the Barnett family, who ceased using the trainer's services an eon ago. And apart from Pure Grain, herself racing a quarter of a century ago, they have not maintained the level of success they had in the days when they used the long established Wantage handler

The two concluding races were the two mile Londsdale Handicap, and the five furlong Harewood Handicap. These races still exist under different titles, with both being currently sponsored by Sky Bet. The Londsdale title was transfered to a new stakes race which is now the popular Group 2 event. 

Wednesday began with the aforementioned seller, the Rous Stakes, where Pat Rohan landed a customary touch with the Piggott ridden Harlyn, backed into 9/4 from an opening 9/2. Ian Balding's popular Mrs Penny took the Lowther, before the day was then taken over by Sea Pigeon's amazing Ebor victory under 10 st.

We had it on word that Jonjo dropped his hands prematurely and almost lost the race - the Raceform race reader being kind to the rider in returning the comment "eased close home", giving the impression that it was more precisely intended than may have been the case.

Lester Piggott then had the next three winner. The Great Voltigeu won by the Robert Armstrong trained Noble Saint racing in the legendary Raymond Guest colours, being followed home by Buttress and Milford, both racing in the Royal silks. The longfellow followed up in the 1m 2f Falmouth Handicap on Beggar's Bridge, then lastly the Convivial Maiden aboard the future outstanding sprinter Moorestyle, who for a lengthy period would have his name attached to the race.

The day closed with the six furlong Wykenham Handicap for three year olds. This race does not exist now and instead, concluding the card on Saturday, is a five furlong three year old apprentice handicap, no doubt intended to assist in staggering the flow of traffic away from the track.

The final day opened with the five furlong Prince of Wales Stakes for juveniles which was won by the Tom Marshall owned and trained Blue Courtier. A curious aspect of this was was that the Peter Walwyn trained Khedive, who was never involved, was backed into 11/4 favouritism from 5/1, but carried the Raceform paddock description of ' bit backward'. He had been absent from action for over two and a half months but it seems that Alan Amies was more clued up to the situation than those who backed the colt. The race is now the Julia Graves Roses Stakes

The Melrose was taken by the Hern/ Carson combination with a typically progressive Dick Hollingsworth bred colt in Balinger. The Sea Pigeon colours were successful again in the Gimcrack with Sonnen Gold , then followed the Thatching disqualification  in the William Hill Sprint Championship, which may serve as a warning for those who question whether we are better off with the present rules.

The Sangster owned colt veered left under Piggott when taking up the running two furlongs out, causing interference whch caused a domino effect, with the eventual runner up and promoted winner Ahonoora receiving a bump.Thatching's winning margin was a convincing two and a half lengths and was the moral winner of the event. Timeform commented that the disqualification was, " ...inevitable,even though he had obviously been the best horse in the race by far. "

The Galtres went to Henry Cecil's Odeon, the one and a half mile Great Yorkshire Handicap to the Michael Stoute trained Soldier's Point, with the meeting ending with Pat Eddery guiding home the Peter Walwyn trained Kampala in the City of York Stakes. Kampala would go on to have his claim to fame by siring the Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe winner Tony Bin. The City of York is now a Group 2 but was doing fine then as a plain stakes race.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The other races not previously mentioned which have been added since include the Group 3  Stensall Stakes.A race carrying the same title had been an established part of the midweek September fixture, but that was confined to fillies and mares so this in effect is a different event.

There is a Goffs Yearling Sales Stakes Race for juveniles, a one mile handicap confined to three year olds, and a seven furlong all aged filles handicap. You could make a case that there is no need for both of these handicaps, and an even stronger case that the sales race weakens the Gimcrack. 

All told, York could be said to have escaped with limiting the potential damage to their highlight fixture of the season. It's not satisfying that the Ebor lacks three year old representation, nor is that bit of aura lost by extending the meeting to a rowdy Saturday.

But when you examine and compare with what is continuing to happen with the careless, ill thought out race planning that is muddyimg the Cheltenham Festival, the Yorkshire showpiece meeting has come away relatively unscathed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  image- York race scene taken by author