Legends Global has renewed its food, beverage and hospitality partnership with York Racecourse for a further eight years and will become title sponsor of the Group One Yorkshire Oaks.
The new agreement extends a relationship between the organisations that dates back more than four decades.
As part of the renewed partnership, the feature race on Ladies Day at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival will become the Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks.
The race takes place on Thursday 20 August 2026 and offers guaranteed prize money of £600,000.
Legends Global will continue to manage food, beverage and hospitality services across York Racecourse, covering public catering, bars, restaurants, hospitality boxes and non-racing events.
The company currently describes its operation at the racecourse as ranging from high-volume public food and beverage outlets to fine dining within hospitality restaurants and boxes.
The partnership began in 1982 with Craven Gilpin & Son, an organisation which subsequently evolved through CGC and ASM before becoming part of Legends Global.
Legends Global now works across a wider portfolio of sports and entertainment venues, including Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Real Madrid and FC Porto.
Its wider racecourse partnerships also include Catterick, Beverley, Ripon, Wetherby, Redcar, Pontefract and Thirsk.
Food and beverage at York has developed around regional sourcing and Yorkshire produce, with the hospitality operation incorporating public catering alongside premium dining experiences.
The racecourse has also worked with recognised chefs as part of its hospitality programme.
These have included Tommy Banks of Roots in York and Tom Barnes, chef-owner of Michelin-starred Skof in Manchester.
Barnes has previously led dining in the Dante Suite during the Ebor Festival, while Banks has also developed a hospitality experience at the racecourse.
The renewed agreement will see the organisations continue investing in the racecourse’s team, technology, regional sourcing and culinary partnerships.
Stephen Cooper, Senior Vice-President Food and Beverage at Legends Global, Europe, said: “Renewing our partnership with York Racecourse for a further eight years is a moment we are incredibly proud of, so it is with special pride that we will be supporting a feature race to mark that occasion.
“Forty years of partnership is remarkable in any business, and it speaks to the level of trust, shared values and genuine collaboration that has defined every year we have worked together.
“York Racecourse is a venue of real prestige staging world class racing, and we have always recognised the responsibility of delivering hospitality that lives up to that standard.
“From our talented teams on the ground every raceday, to the world-class culinary partnerships we have built, our goal is simple: giving every single guest an unforgettable, world-class experience.
“We are committed to continuing to raise the bar across food, beverage and hospitality at York, and we’re excited to see what the next 40 years hold.”
William Derby, Chief Executive of York Racecourse, said: “We are thrilled to have renewed and extended our partnership with Legends Global and to be celebrating it with one of the biggest races of our season, the Group 1 Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks.
“Working together will allow us to continue to innovate, invest and grow our hospitality and catering offer at York for all our guests.
“Our respective organisations have worked closely together for over four decades but never stood still in terms of ensuring we continue to evolve and develop our food, drink and facilities across all areas of the racecourse.
“The combination of delicious ingredients, trusted producers, talented team members and the best use of technology will see us continue to deliver for our valued guests.”
The Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 22 August 2026, with the Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks forming one of the Group One highlights of the four-day meeting.
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