20/08/2008
York moves to Newbury for two prestigious races this Friday
One of Britain's most historic handicaps, the totesport Ebor along with The Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes (Group 2) are two of the famous races to be relocated to Newbury Racecourse on Friday from York's abandoned Totesport Ebor meeting.
The Ebor, won last year by Luca Cumani's Purple Moon, becomes the Totesport Newburgh Handicap and is run over 1m6f.
Racegoers with tickets for any of the four days of York's meeting this year will be given free Premier Enclosure entry this Friday.
Tote chief executive Trevor Beaumont said: "Totesport are delighted to sponsor the replacement race for the Ebor now scheduled to be run at Newbury.
"Of course, there is only one Ebor - and that race can only ever be run at York, but the totesport Newburgh Handicap (the original Norman name for Newbury) will give the owners and trainers another opportunity to win a valuable staying handicap over the same trip."
BHA director of communications John Ryan added: "Ruth Quinn (director of racing) has performed minor miracles in getting this done at such short notice.
"Out of the loss of a four-day meeting like this there are some wonderful positives to racing in terms of what people can do in a crisis, and this is a crisis."
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