Tim Easterby’s Great Habton yard dominated the 2025 Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival, sponsored by Sky Bet, securing a string of major accolades during an impressive week of racing across the county.
The week began with Easterby winning the new £5,000 Trainers’ Challenge, awarded to the first trainer to saddle five winners on five different days during the festival. The decisive win came at York’s evening meeting on Friday 25 July, where a dead heat in the opening race proved enough to seal the bonus.
Images: Hannah Ali
Easterby then went on to be crowned Leading Trainer of the Festival, sponsored by Goldsborough Hall, after reaching an unbeatable total of six winners by the fourth race at York on Saturday 26 July. The presentation included the Byerley Turk bronze, awarded by Mark and Clare Oglesby of Goldsborough Hall.
The Easterby yard also received the Best Turned Out yard award, sponsored by Sky Bet. The team earned a £1,000 prize to share among the staff, along with a pizza party to mark the achievement.
Apprentice jockey Warren Fentiman was named Sky Bet Leading Jockey of the Week following a series of strong performances, including victory aboard Without Flaw at Beverley for trainer Tina Jackson. As Fentiman was riding at Ascot on the final day of the festival, the award was accepted on his behalf by trainer Richard Fahey.
Despite rainfall during much of the festival, racegoers turned out in strong numbers, with highlights including Graham Lee’s appearances at Catterick and Thirsk for the second running of the Injured Jockey Fund’s charity race held in his name. The event continued to showcase the strength of Yorkshire’s racing scene and its importance within the wider community.
The success of the Trainers’ Challenge and the strong support from the region’s racing professionals added further momentum to the summer festival, now firmly established as a key fixture on the Yorkshire sporting calendar.
