The first meeting of 2010 at York is the Dante Festival in May

York Racecourse has won its third national award for 2009.

The team have been given the Neil Wyatt Groundstaff Award by the Racecourse Association for the first time.

York has also won the Racecourse of the Year title from the Racehorse Owners Association and been named favourite flat course by the Racegoers club.

Marketing manager James Brennan told BBC Radio York: "It's great news that the team on the Knavesmire have won it for the first time."

He added: "It's a tribute to all of the hard work from the team."

The Neil Wyatt Award is judged by a panel of turf industry experts from the National Trainers Federation, Professional Jockeys Association and British Horseracing Authority's Racecourse Inspectorate.

We were able to include in the entry some very kind comments from the like of Sir Michael Stoute James Brennan

The assessment criteria included the condition and presentation of the racing surface, innovation and improvements in turf husbandry and the way in which the grounds team are managed, motivated and developed.

Brennan went on: "It's the biggest award of its kind in the industry so all 60 racecourses would love to win it. It's the first time that we've managed to get our hands on it here."

The course at the Knavesmire had a lot of drainage work done at the end of 2008 and the start of 2009 and Brennan said the award was also recognition of the success of that project.

And he added: "The important thing is what the connections say about it and they've been very positive throughout the year so it's nice that the judges agree with them.

"We were able to include in the entry some very kind comments from the like of Sir Michael Stoute, who said the ground was fantastic and he was very pleased with the ground we'd prepared.

"And Richard Fahey of course has been very successful here. He's been very complimentary about the ground as has Mark Johnston.

"It's great when the judges find in our favour."

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