Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu receives ‘ambassador’ accolade at tourism awards – York Ebor Horse racing Festival

TOURISM chiefs hailed the Archbishop of York the answer to their prayers when they presented him with the top award at a major ceremony.

The annual York Tourism Awards, organised by Visit York, were held at the National Railway Museum last night, to celebrate excellence in the city’s crucial tourism industry.

Fourteen winners, picked from hundreds of entries, were presented with their awards at the event hosted by writer and broadcaster Gervase Phinn.

The award for Tourism Ambassador 2010 went to Dr John Sentamu for the role he plays both nationally and internationally in putting York on the map.

Since his arrival in the city in 2005, visitors have met the Archbishop offering open-air baptisms, he has visited flood victims in Cumbria and made visits overseas.

Visit York chairman John Yeomans said: “The Archbishop has contributed greatly to raising the profile of the city and we’re delighted he has accepted this award in recognition of the work he does both in York and across the globe.”

Last year he rode My Will, a Paul Nicholls horse, but could only manage 3rd. However, this year he’s on the favorite, Big Fella Thanks, who also happens to be trained by Nicholls. Big Fella Thanks had a great race last year as he finished 6th at the tender age of 7 so with Ruby Walsh in charge he might live up to his billing.

Tony McCoy, who this year is riding Don’t Push It, is one of the greatest jockeys of the modern era with over 3000 career wins which have brought him virtually every prize going except the coveted Grand National. Racing in the Aintree Grand National 2010 will mark the 15th time he has attempted the course so he is more than familiar with it but so far has only managed 3rd place.

Sam Twiston-Davies may not be a celebrated jockey but he’s making plenty of headlines for the Aintree Grand National 2010. At 17-years-old he’s competing to become the youngest winner since Bruce Hobbs won with Battleship in 1938. Hobbs was also aged 17 at the time. He’s riding a decent horse in Hello Bud, trained by his father Nigel, but his inexperience may take its toll.

Dr Sentamu, who was unable to attend the award ceremony in person, said it was a “great honour”.

He said: “York is one of the greatest cities in Britain. It’s not just the great tourist attractions we have here like the Minster, the Jorvik Viking Centre and the Railway Museum that draw people into the city – no, I put it down to the incredible people we have here in York. Yorkshire people may be famous for being straight talking, but they are also renowned for being warm-spirited, kind-hearted and very welcoming to our visitors. I think that’s the main reason people keep coming back – and also one of the main reasons I have won this award!”

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2010 GRAND NATIONAL AT AINTREE LONG SHOT TIPS AND SELECTIONS

We’ve already covered some of the favourites in the build-up to the 2010 Grand National at Aintree this weekend and we certainly learned last year that you definitely cannot bank on the top contenders when it comes to the drama and excitement of the no holds barred Grand National Festival.

First on the list is the talented and in-form Chief Dan George who is priced at around 25/1 with most major bookmakers. You’ll find him as high as 33/1. He’s looking for his third win on the bounce having scored at Doncaster against a solid field in late February and then nailed a solid win on one of the biggest stages in jumps racing when he took the Grade 3 William Hill Trophy at Cheltenham. He’ll be looking to stay in contention for much of the race and then press on with a proper charge over the last 100 yards. In my opinion, if he’s still standing at the end of the hurdles then it is game on for Chief Dan George. He can handle the distance and he can recover from errors better than most, so if you’re looking for a longer odds selection this might be your best bet.

My Will was last year’s favourite and the punters seem to have learned their lesson with the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding. He ran third last year and that bodes well for his ability to stay the course and run an error-free Grand National. You’ll find him priced at a lengthy 40/1 this time out- better than the 8/1 favourite he ran as last year. He ran seventh in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and acquitted himself about as well as you’d expect. Definitely a contender, and is a solid each-way shout at 40/1.

Flintoff is an interesting outside bet who has only raced twice in past year and a half. You’ll find him as high as 100/1 and if you think that the National is going to be won by back-to-back 100/1+ jumpers then this might be your selection. He’s got some respectable results and looks a bit sharper than a lot of the other longer-odds competition. He’s lightly-raced and could be poised to make a real statement here with the right type of trip. He’s more in danger of being pulled up than he is to fall. He’s never tackled a Grand National before and could be a contender if the stars align.

Beat the Boys is a solid shout if you’re looking for a long-odds selection. The Nigel Twiston-Davies-owned grey gelding has won every race this season where he hasn’t been pulled up. Unfortunately, he’s been pulled up in 3 of his 5 races. If he can handle the gruelling distance and stay on his feet, then he’s a solid bet at the 100/1 price you’ll find him at. A long shot, but these types of low-key contenders have made serious statements in the past.

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York Racecourse's James Brennan looking to go one better this year

Beating the record-breaking 2009 season is the challenge for York Racecourse this year, as head of marketing and sponsorship James Brennan tells STEVE CARROLL.

THEY could not have asked for a better year. Record crowds, two massive Saturday meetings, and the world’s best racehorse Sea The Stars capping the campaign with a fabulous Juddmonte International victory.

That’s the focus for the team at York Racecourse as they begin to gear up for their 17-day season on Knavesmire, which starts on May 12 with the three-day Dante Festival.

With Royal Ascot at York, the St Leger Festival and a four-day York Ebor Festival in the bank over the past half-dozen years, the feeling of “looking to go one better” is hardly new.

And, if anything, they relish the challenge.

“You always have to keep moving forward,” says James Brennan, York’s head of marketing and sponsorship. “2009 was a fantastic season, particularly coming after the disappointments of 2008.

“It was fantastic to see the trackwork project up and running and meet with approval from so many better judges than me. It was fantastic to see the world’s best racehorse Sea The Stars – the crowd really welcomed him back as a true champion, not just a winning favourite.

“It’s important to us that people come and support us and we are grateful for that because it all gets reinvested back into racing at York whether it is boosting prize money or capping attendance fees. It can only come on the back of people’s support and we are conscious of the need to keep earning that.”

The off-season saw York picking up gong after gong. They were hailed by the Racegoers Club, named the country’s top Flat course by the Racehorse Owners’ Association and their groundstaff were also praised with an industry award.

This year, the four-day Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival, running from Tuesday, August 17 to Friday, August 20, remains the ace in York’s pack, with the Juddmonte International, totesport Ebor, Darley Yorkshire Oaks and Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes the feature contests.

World Cup action should be a highlight of the 40th Charity Day, on Saturday, June 12, with England kicking off their challenge for the trophy against the USA following a meeting which has raised more than £4.7 million for cancer charities. Brennan reckons there is much to look forward to.

“It will be great to be coming back racing,” he added. “We are looking forward to seeing Madness perform. There’s always a buzz going into the season and you will start hearing talk about the St Nicholas Abbeys and the other horses that are set to come and run in May and will come back to us again in August.

“The experience of 2009 for most of the 80,000 people who attended the first four-day Ebor Festival was a positive one and we will come on for the run, as they say.

“You wouldn’t work at a racecourse without looking forward to the season. Every year, we have had some different things to do. It’s a great industry to be involved in on racedays.

“There is a real pride when the alarm clock goes off, you come in and the place is waking up. By the time racegoers and horses arrive it is a buzz. We will make sure we are ready.”

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