MORE than one million people went horseracing in Yorkshire in 2013.

Strong attendances at York, along with Go Racing In Yorkshire’s Summer Festival which brought more than 100,000 racegoers to the county’s nine tracks, combined with a warm summer and a mild end to the year to bring in the crowds.

A delighted John Sexton, chairman of Go Racing In Yorkshire, said: “Topping one million racegoers on our racecourses during 2013 was a fantastic achievement and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

“It was a sensational year for racing in Yorkshire, with a memorable Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival which attracted great crowds, a very competitive first ‘Future Stars’ Apprentice Series (won by Gary Mahon), nine wonderful Ladies Days capped off by the final at Doncaster in October and last, but not least, an extremely successful first-ever Go Racing In Yorkshire Winter Festival which helped tip the aggregate attendance over the one million mark.”

Sexton added: “Racing in Yorkshire is going from strength to strength and, buoyed by these figures, we can look forward to 2014 and beyond with real confidence.”