Racing ahead

It was one of the best attended sports events in Yorkshire in 2011, and the region’s football and rugby clubs can now only dream about attracting such numbers on a regular basis.

However, it did not happen overnight. It has taken 35 years of collaborative work, since Go Racing in Yorkshire’s inception, for the Sport of Kings to reach these heights.

Racing’s importance can be measured by Sheffield Hallam University’s research which reveals that the sport contributes nearly £230m a year to the local economy and sustains 2,300 full-time jobs.

Underpinned by nine racetracks and thriving training centres at Middleham and Malton, racing’s rulers must use the report’s conclusions to enhance their sport still further.

They should also note York’s winning formula – enhanced prize money means better racing and even bigger crowds. That said, these findings are a reminder to council planners, and others, that they must never bet against horse racing’s importance.