NEW
"ROAD TO THE ST LEGER" INITIATIVE
In an exciting new
initiative, Goodwood Racecourse announces today that Neptune Investment
Management, founded by Robin Geffen, is to sponsor the Gordon Stakes from 2013
for an initial five-year term as part of a new "Road to the St
Leger".
The Group Three race
proved its worth as a Ladbrokes St Leger trial again this year, with the winner
of the final Classic, Encke, at Doncaster earlier this month having been a very
close second at Goodwood on July 31. The third horse in the Gordon Stakes,
Michelangelo, also finished in the same position in the Ladbrokes St Leger.
The Gordon Stakes, in
addition to Encke, has produced the St Leger winner in 2010 (Arctic Cosmos),
2008 (Conduit), 2006 (Sixties Icon), 2000 (Millenary), 1998 (Nedawi), 1988
(Minster Son), 1984 (Commanche Run) and 1971 (Athens Wood) since 1970.
The Gordon Stakes, founded
in 1902, is run over a mile and a half at Glorious Goodwood each year in late
July or early August.
The new sponsorship will
boost the prize money in 2013 by 25 per cent to £75,000 (£60,000 in 2012).
The "Road to the St
Leger" initiative involves, at present, three Neptune Investment
Management-sponsored races, the Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes and
two races at York including the Group Two Neptune Investment Management Great
Voltigeur Stakes over a mile and a half at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor
Festival in August.
It mirrors the series of
races the company sponsors over jumps which culminates in the Neptune
Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Adam Waterworth, managing
director of Goodwood Racecourse, commented: "It is great news that Neptune
Investment Management will sponsor the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood from next year
as part of the new "Road to the St Leger" initiative.
"Neptune Investment
Management wants to be associated with races which support the middle distance
horses and, with this in mind, already supports another major St Leger trial,
the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, which Encke also ran in.
"The Gordon Stakes,
from the last seven runnings, has generated more St Leger winners (four) than
the Great Voltigeur (three) so it will be fascinating to see which of these two
Neptune Investment Management-sponsored races does best in this respect in
future.
"There has been a
history of thrilling finishes to the Gordon Stakes. Noble Mission beat Encke by
a nose in this year's contest, while Namibian scored by a neck in 2011, Rebel
Soldier held on by a head in 2010 and Conduit triumphed by the same margin in 2008.
"As well as producing
plenty of St Leger winners, the Gordon Stakes has also helped shape the careers
of two other outstanding horses in the last decade. Harbinger won the Gordon
Stakes in 2009, the year before he took the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth
Stakes at Ascot by 11 lengths and was rated the world's best racehorse.
"Phoenix Reach, the
2003 Gordon victor, went on to win three Group One races across the world, the
Canadian International, the Hong Kong Vase and the Dubai Sheema Classic after
finishing third in the St Leger."
Robin Geffen said:
"Neptune Investment Management is delighted to be working with another of
the world's leading Flat racecourses during a festival as significant as
'Glorious'.
"The British racing
programme is unique, as are its array of racecourses, and the trials in the
build-up to the St Leger, the final Classic race of the year and often
contested by both colts and fillies, continue to gain popularity with both the
horsemen and racing public alike.
"We look forward to
working with Goodwood to enhance the growth of the Gordon Stakes.
"At Neptune, we pride
ourselves in nurturing and developing young talent, be that our own employees,
or through our educational and arts projects.
"We continue to be
committed to provide a race programme for the middle distance champions of the
future."
Mike Dillon of the St
Leger sponsor Ladbrokes welcomed the "Road to the St Leger"
initiative.
He said: "We are
delighted that Neptune Investment Management thinks the same about the middle
distance division as we do.
"We will be fully
supportive of the "Road to the St Leger" initiative involving the two
Neptune Investment Management-sponsored Group-class St Leger trials."
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