Ed Chamberlin speaks to... William Derby about the challenges at York

1. How are you and the York team?

That question takes on a different meaning in these times. We count ourselves lucky that at the time of writing, everyone is fit and healthy. Clearly a worrying time for everyone so we are all doing our bit.

Our thoughts remain with all those not as fortunate and special thanks go out to those in the NHS and elsewhere who are making such an important difference.

2. Give us an idea of how the lockdown has affected the business - on and off the racecourse?

Like many other organisations, day to day business has ground to a complete halt. Everything we do is effectively a “mass gathering”, whether that is the racing or the 700 or so other events staged at York Racecourse – conferences, dinners, car boot sales, weddings, exhibitions, school parties using the stable staff accommodation; all cancelled or postponed.

There would normally be around 100 people working on the York Racecourse site, nearly all of them are now working from home or on furlough. Like the rest of the country we are getting better at WhatsApp and zoom as we keep in touch - where would we be without modern technology?!

The site in the spring is usually a hive of industry with these events and getting ready for racing – it traditionally really steps up after the Grand National - however this year it is a very eerie place with all the buildings locked down and the offices empty, in line with Government advice.

3. What measures have you had to take? Laying off, furlough etc.

We have a skeleton staff of half a dozen people keeping the site safe, undertaking essential maintenance and operations, and ticking over the legal and financial obligations of the organisation. The rest of the team are furloughed and are staying safe at home. Adrian Kay, our Head Groundsman, is singlehandedly managing the track and Gavin Pattison, our Facilities Manager, the buildings. We are blessed with a committed and talented team that would much rather be working than sitting at home, but they understand the nationwide situation and cannot wait until this emergency is over for everyone.

4. What is the line of communication - do you deal with the BHA? Government?

There is really good communication both with the BHA, the Racecourse Association and other racecourses. The BHA is talking to Government regularly and information is then being fed back to racecourses. Clearly it is an evolving picture and many of the Government schemes involve a level of detail and explanation to enable racecourses and other businesses to apply them appropriately.

The Yorkshire racecourses have had weekly “zoom” conference calls which keep us connected, are both informative and even add some light relief, you’ll know some of the characters involved.

Wider even than that, there seems to be a really good community spirit within Yorkshire racing between tracks, trainers, jockeys and places like Goffs UK and the National Horseracing College at Doncaster. We have been keeping in touch to share information and see how we can help each other.

5. How are you helping the community effort?

York Racecourse is proud to have been a part of its community since 1731 and since this crisis first started, we have stayed very connected to our local community. Our stable staff accommodation is being used by NHS doctors and nurses who face the added personal challenge of not being with their family, either through travel time or perhaps because a member of their household is in a vulnerable group. We have long supported the National Blood Donor Service so were humbled to host a visit this week when over 100 people gave blood. Several of our team members have volunteered for the NHS volunteer army including Paul our plumber who is driving patients to hospital and Richard in accounts is delivering prescriptions. We have offered the York Racecourse grandstands to support both the emergency and City Council services.

6. Is it inevitable some racecourses won’t survive?

As with many organisations and individuals, it is an incredibly difficult time, both from a health and an economic perspective. Racecourses still have large fixed costs and currently no income so that can only be a concern for all who work at the tracks and those many individuals whose businesses depend on the visitors and events taking place. Most racecourses were well managed before this crisis and are taking the right steps to navigate through it; so closures are not inevitable but equally no one has a divine right to survive. The key uncertainty is how long this national emergency might last.

7. When do you think we might see racing resume?

That is the big question and no-one knows the answer. The only sensible response is when it is safe to do so and in establishing that, we can only be guided by the Government and the public health professionals.

8. What about at York?

We will be ready when Government and public health professionals give the approval to the BHA for York and the rest of racing to re-start.

9. There’s a scenario where the Ebor Meeting could be the biggest ever!

That’s what we were planning until this outbreak occurred! That fact is that we just do not know where we will all be in August and what the circumstances will be for our flagship festival. We have a little time on our side and will have to follow Government advice, just hoping that we can bring some economic relief to the industry and some entertainment to the supporters of our sport and viewers of ITV Racing after such a tough time.

10. I think you’ll agree we’ll appreciate the big days at York - which WILL be back - more than ever.

I hope, as a nation, that we will all appreciate the return of “normal” conditions and the value of good health and good company.

Big days have always been special on the Knavesmire but our hope is that the future ones will feel especially sweet. Maybe that will be welcoming back star filly Enable, already a dual winner of the Darley Yorkshire Oaks or the excitement of Sky Bet Ebor.

11. When you look back on your career – what are the days – or challenges that stand out?

I am lucky that there have been many highlights with wonderful horses, great racing and tremendous race meetings, of course those have brought a few challenges along the way.

Royal Ascot at York in 2005 was a tremendous occasion for the whole of Yorkshire – it put the global spotlight on the city and region and was a massively successful occasion that people still talk about. The next year when the St Leger Festival was staged at York while Doncaster was being redeveloped was also hugely enjoyable under cobalt blue skies with Frankie Dettori winning the oldest classic aboard favourite, Sixties Icon, in front of a sell-out crowd.

In terms of horses, Sea The Stars and Frankel top the bill as both won our highest-rated race, the Juddmonte International, as part of their unbeaten sequences in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

Nothing beats the drama of a tight finish in front of a packed crowd so the 2017 and 2018 Coolmore Nunthorpes were both epic renewals that came within a whisker of producing a dead heat. In the latter Alpha Delphini just prevailed at 80-1 for Bryan Smart in a thriller – it helped that I had tipped the horse at the Sky Bet Ebor preview night!

Of course, we are very proud of our most famous race, the Sky Bet Ebor which was worth £1m in 2019 and was won in great style by Mustajeer for Ger Lyons; though the scenes of sheer joy generated by the connections of Heartbreak City in 2018 will live long in the memory.

Outside racing we have welcomed the Grand Depart of the Tour de France, the Olympic Flame and concerts including a sell out Rod Stewart show to the Knavesmire – all great fun for the team and community.

In terms of challenges, floods, fires, power cuts and a swarm of wild bees, all of which have been overcome by tremendous support from so many that care about racing on the Knavesmire.

12. How proud are you and the team of the regard York is held in – both by racegoers and racing professionals?

Just incredibly proud and humbled and I’m the lucky one as I get to see and hear the lovely things that are said about the efforts of others. In 2019 we were honoured to be awarded Racecourse of the Year by both the Racegoers Club and the Racehorse Owners Association (joint with Chester) which we think is the first time the “belts have been united”. We also managed to also win the Racing Post Readers Award and be RCA Showcase Groundstaff Champions. The whole team associated with York are hugely appreciative of the support the track receives from racegoers and racing professionals

13. Which other meetings do you enjoy around the world and why?

I love racing and indeed any big sporting occasion so try to attend events whenever I am on holiday or am lucky enough to go through work. The big meetings around the world – the Lexus Melbourne Cup, Breeders’ Cup, Dubai World Cup and Japan Cup are always tremendous spectacles which involve the best horses and jockeys in the world. However I also love the smaller racedays especially where the racecourse is the heart of the community, for instance, Cartmel, Perth or Taunton – the search for a winner is the same and I always love the combination of horses, people, competitive sport and those local twists, whether it’s a mint julep or a sticky toffee pudding.

14. What are you remaining ambitions for York – how can you make what many people regard as being the best racecourse in the world – even better?

To get better in all that we do and to keep raising the bar with our race programme, our facilities and the experience of racing at York. A great Board and team at York with the tremendous support of so many will help us to keep innovating and improving.