ED CHAMBERLIN: Roll up for the golden hour! York has thrown the kitchen sink at two big races from 3pm on Saturday

British horse racing has mastered the art of suspending reality.

Spectacular summer festivals at Epsom, Royal Ascot and Goodwood have had global appeal and have given us the perfect escape from the daily struggles in which this sport also excels.

York was merry and fun this week, the thrilling action delighted the general public.

How can you not be swept up in the drama of Frankie Dettori playing catch-me-if-you-can at the Juddmonte, his masterful ride at Mostahdaf ending Paddington’s victory, or Thursday’s head-bobbing finish with kill the photo judges working overtime?

This is what it’s all about. This is, as I explained in these pages on Friday, why I don’t regret for a moment that I left football to lead this ultimate sport, one that requires you to constantly use your mind, solve puzzles and challenge yourself. must allow to dream.

York has allowed us to put issues like affordability checks, the whip, saunas and prize money on the back burner for a while. These are all serious issues and I cannot stress enough the danger posed by invasive affordability checks recommended by the Gaming Commission.

Simply put, it’s potentially the biggest threat to the sport’s finances in my life. Betting funds the sport, but gamblers are massively put off by these draconian measures.

The measures are at odds with so many other recreational activities, while a large majority of our public likes to gamble responsibly. That is why we must work with the Gaming Commission to ensure that common sense prevails. Let’s settle it.

I have a strong feeling about this, but to emphasize the point I made above, the action we witnessed on the Knavesmire was a glorious reminder of what’s so good about racing, with stories spreading left, right and coming at us in the middle.

We had Paul Hanagan go on to have a great career, winning the jockey title twice, as well as a slew of Group 1 races. Then there was Frankie, who treated us to flying teardowns and showmanship in the saddle.

My word we will miss him when the end comes. If the end is indeed in sight…

Let’s hope we can end on a high with York’s biggest day of the year. Some Festival Saturday cards may be low key, but we could have a golden hour on ITV from 3pm, with York and SkyBet throwing the sink at the two big races.

The City Of York Stakes (3.00) has progressed from the Championship to the brink of the Champions League. It was a listed race in 1987, became a Group Three in 2016 and then a Group Two in 2019. The race is now worth £500,000 and should knock on the door to become Britain’s only Group One over the specialist distance of seven furlongs.

Kinross won his way to top-level glory at Longchamp last year and Ascot didn’t hurt those hopes and he’s a firm favorite to repeat the trick. Frankie’s first ride at York in May 1990 was a winning one and he will want what will be his last to be a winning one. He could go for a crazy price.

Holy is a danger – but only if the ground stays fast – while Mutasaabeq is a fascinating contender after a 67-day absence. It’s deadly when fresh.

He has run over a mile in elite company and now falls back to seven furlongs for the first time since April 2022. Mutasaabeq will run a great race.

The SkyBet Ebor (3.35), York’s flagship race, dates back to 1843, is Europe’s richest Flat handicap and the Flat race is the closest thing to the Grand National: 22 runners over 1m 6f and some bookies offer eight Each way places on because it is fiercely competitive. Any of them could win.

Sweet William is the all-time favorite, but I’ve studied harder for this than any exam I’ve ever taken and Get Shirty at 33-1 seems like a huge prize. Last year he placed fifth in the race and now that his handicap number has dropped I am convinced that he is aiming for the prize by his handicap wizard trainer David O’Meara.

Ed Chamberlin is an ambassador for SkyBet