Following consultation with York Racecourse and the Horsemen's Group, York's application to revise the conditions of the Goffs Premier Yearling S. has been approved, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Tuesday. Slated for Aug. 20 during the second day of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival, the race's prize money has been reduced to £180,000, with the third and fourth stages of the race now notpayable. There will also be a partial refund made to owners of the first (£120) and second (£240) stage entrants. The remaining conditions of the race remain the same, with the next scratching deadline July 7 at noon.
“In what continues to be an extraordinary season, we have sought a collaborative approach to find an equitable solution,” said York Racecourse Clerk of the Course William Derby. “We wanted to retain the status and relative high value of this race without appearing out of step with the reality of the COVID-19 crisis and resultant funding challenges for all. We feel this is a fair solution to ensure the race is run with six-figure prize money and our thanks go to the Horsemen, the team at BHA, as well as our sponsor, Goffs UK, for their support.”
Added Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent, “The Premier Yearling S. has become established in the racing calendar and is used by many high class horses as a springboard to group success later in the year. As such, we were very keen to protect the race during this strange year and we are delighted that we've managed to work with York Racecourse to stage the race on the traditional date which is just two weeks prior to our Premier Yearling Sale on 1 and 2 Sept. 2020.”
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