York racecourse hosts a number of important meetings throughout the flat season, none more so than in late August with their Ebor Festival.
York Racecourse hosts a number of important meetings throughout the flat season, none more so than in late August with their Ebor Festival.
Taking place over four days between Wednesday and Saturday, each with a feature top-class Group 1 race. Wednesday has the Juddmonte International, Thursday has the Yorkshire Oaks, the Nunthorpe Stakes takes place on Friday with the City Of York Stakes on Saturday.
The Ebor Handicap itself runs on the final day, seeing a maximum field of 22 battle it out over 1m6f on the Knavesmire.
Wednesday 19th August 2026
The Ebor festival begins with a 5½f Class 2 sprint handicap and is followed by the Group 3 Acomb Stakes over 7f and the Great Voltigeur Stakes over 1m4f.
The fourth race on day one is the most prestigious race of the year at York, the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes. This 1m2½f contest carries a prize fund of £1.5m and has a role of honour to match including Frankel, Sea The Stars and Giant’s Causeway.
Wednesday closes with the Stayers Handicap over 2m½f, a Heritage Handicap over 5f and a nursery handicap over 6f.
- 1:50pm: Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap
Class 2, 5½f, 4yo+, £135,000 - 2:25pm: Tattersalls Acomb Stakes
Group 3, 7f, 2yo, £175,000 - 3:00pm: Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes
Group 2, 1m4f, 3yo, £250,000 - 3:35pm: Juddmonte International Stakes
Group 1, 1m2½f, 3yo+, £1,500,000 - 4:10pm: Sky Bet Stayers Handicap
Class 2, 2m½f, 3yo+, £100,000 - 4:45pm: Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Handicap
Class 2, 5f, 3yo, £100,000 - 5:20: Sky Bet Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 6f, 2yo, £100,000
Thursday 20th August 2026, Ladies Day
Day two opens with the Group 2 Lowther Stakes over 6f before the £500,000+ Harry’s Half Million By Goffs, previously known as the Premier Yearling Stakes which is also over 6f, and the Sir Kevin Sinfield 7 In 7 Grand Finale Handicap which is over a mile. Thursday’s big race follows, the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks for fillies and mares over 1m4f.
The Listed Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes, a 7f nursery handicap and a 7f fillies’ handicap complete the race list for the day.
- 1:50pm: Sky Bet Lowther Stakes
Group 2, 6f, 2yo, £250,000 - 2:25pm: Harry’s Half Million By Goffs
Class 2, 6f, 2yo, £508,150 - 3:00pm: Sir Kevin Sinfield 7 In 7 Grand Finale Handicap
Class 2, 1m, 3yo+, £150,000 - 3:35pm: Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks
Group 1, 1m4f, 3yo+, £600,000 - 4:10pm: British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes
Listed, 1m4f, 3yo+, £100,000 - 4:45pm: Mews Hotel Ossett EBF Stallions Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £100,000 - 5:20: British EBF Fillies’ Handicap
Class 2, 7f, 3yo+, £100,000
Friday 21st August 2026
Race one on Friday is the Mile Handicap before the first of three Group races on the card, the Lonsdale Cup. This Group 2 over 2m½f may not be the most valuable or classiest contest of the day but often has the season’s top stayers lining up.
Another Group 2 follows in the 6f Gimcrack Stakes for two-year-olds before the day 3 feature, the Nunthorpe Stakes. This Group 1 sprint is over 5f and has a prize pot of £600,000. A 1m4f handicap, a 7f maiden and a 1m2½f handicap for fillies completes the day’s action.
- 1:50pm: Sky Bet Mile Handicap
Class 2, 1m, 3yo, £100,000 - 2:25pm: Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes
Group 2, 2m½f, 3yo+, £250,000 - 3:00pm: Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes
Group 2, 6f, 2yo, £250,000 - 3:35pm: Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes
Group 1, 5f, 2yo+, £600,000 - 4:10pm: Assured Data Protection Handicap
Class 2, 1m4f, 3yo+, £120,000 - 4:45pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £100,000 - 5:20pm: Sky Bet EBF Fillies’ Handicap
Class 2, 1m2½f, 3yo+, £100,000
Saturday 22nd August 2026
The final day of the meeting begins with the Group 3 Strensall Stakes over 1m1f and is followed by the Melrose Handicap over the staying distance of 1m6f. The 7f City Of York Stakes is now a Group 1 and will run as the third race of the day.
The biggest betting heat of the week, and the meeting’s title race follows as race four on Saturday, the Ebor Handicap. At £500,000 this is Europe’s richest flat handicap which was first run back in 1843. Day four closes with the Constantine Handicap, the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes and the Dav Reid Finale Handicap.
- 1:50pm: Sky Bet Strensall Stakes
Group 3, 1m1f, 3yo+, £175,000 - 2:25pm: Sky Bet Melrose Handicap
Class 2, 1m6f, 3yo, £180,000 - 3:00pm: Sky Bet City Of York Stakes
Group 1, 7f, 3yo+, £600,000 - 3:35pm: Sky Bet Ebor Handicap
Class 2, 1m6f, 4yo+, £500,000 - 4:10pm: Sky Bet Constantine Handicap
Class 2, 6f, 3yo+, £135,000 - 4:45pm: Julia Graves Roses Stakes
Listed, 5f, 2yo, £100,000 - 5:20: Sky Bet Dav Reid Finale Handicap
Class 2, 1m2½f, 3yo+, £100,000
