 York's superb facilities and big-race experience won the day |
York Racecourse has won the race to stage the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting in 2005. Ascot chief executive Douglas Erskine-Crum announced on Saturday that the fixture will be switched to the Knavesmire while redevelopment work takes place at the Berkshire track.
York had been odds-on favourite to be awarded the meeting, with Cheltenham, Newbury and Newmarket also in contention.
Speaking to the BBC, which will televise the meeting, Erskine-Crum said: "We had four very strong bids from Cheltenham, Newbury, Newmarket and York and we've decided to go to York.
"We are going to shut down for 20 months and the current plan, pending the planning process, is that we will start the redevelopment in October next year and finish it in May 2006.
"That would mean we would move to York for the Royal meeting in 2005."
Erskine-Crum said York's facilities were the deciding factor.
"We felt York was already a world-class racecourse," he said.
"They've got a very strong management team. Their attendances have gone up by something like 14% so far this year, and they just came in with the strongest bid."
Officials at both tracks will liaise to alter the Knavesmire circuit to accommodate the Royal meeting's big staying races such as the Gold Cup over two and a half miles and Flat racing's longest event, the Queen Alexandra Stakes, which is two furlongs further.
In order to stage these famous races, a round course will be built at York.
"It is part of our plan and I should emphasise that it is going to be called Royal Ascot at York," said Erskine-Crum.
"The model we've got is the Breeders' Cup in the States, where the Cup goes to a racecourse and they organise the event with the support and assistance of the host course.
"We will finance everything - the prize money and everything.
"We will be building that (the round course) with York. They are going to build a track extension so they have got a round course. "All the races that are held at Royal Ascot will be able to be held on this new round course."
Erskine-Crum said no decision had been made over the venues for other Ascot fixtures, which include the prestigious King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes meeting.
William Derby, chief executive at York, said he was "delighted and honoured" by the decision.
"We're proud of our racecourse and hope the decision to transfer the meeting to York will be widely welcomed," he said.
"We'll be in a broadly similar position to the Millennium Stadium (in Cardiff) when it hosts cup finals for the FA and Football League."
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All the races that are held at Royal Ascot will be able to be held on (a) new round course (at York) 
