OFFICIALS AT the British Horseracing Authority have united with other racecourse partners to salvage some of the key races after the wash-out of the York Ebor festival. All three Group Ones and an Ebor substitute will be run in the coming days, with Newmarket, Goodwood and Newbury stepping up to play host.

The first two days of the four-day meeting were lost on Tuesday after a deluge of rain and officials had planned to inspect the track at midday to assess prospects for the rest of the week.

However, with waterlogged patches still lying on the track yesterday morning, York clerk of the course and chief executive William Derby was faced with no alternative but to wave the white flag.

He said: “Unfortunately we had to abandon the rest of the meeting as the track is waterlogged in places and there is no prospect of it drying out.”

Newmarket will play host to the International Stakes on Saturday after the BHA worked frantically in an attempt to re-schedule nine races. Newmarket will also stage the Festival’s other Group One events – the Darley Yorkshire Oaks and the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes – tomorrow.

Joining those key contests will be the DBS Sales Race to form a bumper 11-race card. The Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur will take place at Goodwood on Saturday, while the Ebor becomes the totesport Newburgh and will be run at Newbury tomorrow, as will the Gimcrack. The Berkshire track is also offering free entry to anybody holding tickets to any of the four days of the York meeting.

BHA director of communications John Ryan added: “Ruth Quinn (director of racing) has performed minor miracles in getting this done at such short notice. A lot of the sponsors have been fantastic and the owners and trainers she has spoken to have, in the main, been incredibly helpful.”

The majority of bookmakers are refunding all bets, including those struck ante-post, on the races that were due to be staged and new markets will be formed on the rescheduled events.