RACE chiefs will pump another £300,000 into prize money during York Racecourse’s 2015 campaign - with the season-opening Dante Festival in May enjoying a £65,000 boost.

A total approaching £6.5 million will be handed out across the 17-day season, a five per cent rise on last year, with the flagship Juddmonte International in August boosted to £850,000.

Each of the feature races at the Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival will also see prize pots increased, with the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes up £45,000 to £310,000.

The Darely Yorkshire Oaks will hand out £350,000 and the Betfred Ebor Handicap, the richest Flat race of its type in Europe, has seen an increase of £10,000 to £275,000.

Every race at the showpiece meeting of York’s year will start with at least £45,000 in the kitty, and the Great Voltigeur Stakes also goes up by £10,000 to £160,000.

The track has earned its 30th Pattern contest after a five-furlong conditions race at the Dante Festival was upgraded to become the Listed European Breeders’ Fund Westow Stakes - offering £40,000 in prize money.

There is an extra £20,000 added to the Group 3 Tattersalls Musidora Stakes, a highlight of the first day of the season on May 13, and both the Betfred Middleton Stakes and Betfred Dante Stakes - Group 2 contests on the second day of the May meeting - are increased by £10,000 to £110,000 and £160,000 respectively.

The Betway Yorkshire Cup, on the final day, rises to £150,000.

James Brennan, head of marketing at York, said: “We recognise here at York that the racing is at the heart of everything we do.

“We invest in the racegoer facilities, we invest in the experience and we invest in prize money - to attract the best horses to keep coming to Knavesmire.

“Last year saw the first £1 million Dante Festival and we have kicked on from there with a 6.5 per cent increase.

“The Tattersalls Musidora becomes our 18th race offering six figures in prize money and I am delighted that York has been granted its 30th Pattern race with the Listed Westow Stakes.”

Focusing on the Dante Festival, William Derby, chief executive and clerk of the course, said: “The Dante Festival is a fabulous curtain-raiser with quality racing the central theme.

“We hope both the upgraded race and wider investment in the race programme will be rewarded with the same fabulous racing as we have seen in recent times.

“It is remarkable that the feature race of the meeting, the Betfred Dante, has been won by Yorkshire- trained horses in the last two years in the shape of Libertarian and The Grey Gatsby - I am sure the 2015 renewal will be fiercely contested.

“Turning to the new EBF Westow Stakes, we identified an opportunity in the race programme some six years ago and, supported by the EBF, the race has attracted top- quality three-year-old sprinters.

“So it gives us particular pride that a home-grown contest has been recognised for an upgrade to Listed status.

“As we have already shown, contenders for the Dante’s feature races are likely to be regulars on the big-race circuit throughout the year ahead, so racegoers can look forward to seeing them at York in May.”