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£4.5m "CHAMPIONS
WEEKEND" CREATED IN 2014 WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF DUBAI FUTURE
CHAMPIONS DAY AND QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY
- Newmarket's
Dubai Future Champions Day moves to the Friday before QIPCO British
Champions Day at Ascot
- Champions
Weekend to feature six Group 1 races in just over 24 hours, with the
Fillies and Mares Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day upgraded to
Group 1 this year
- £350,000
increase in prize money to QIPCO British Champions Day in 2013
- Many
outstanding issues surrounding the autumn two-year-old programme
addressed
- Newmarket
Rowley Mile to stage an additional £450,000+ raceday featuring the
Betfred Cesarewitch
- Newmarket
Racecourses to stage the highest number of Group races in Britain
- Further
upgrades within British Pattern confirmed by BHA
The climax to the British Flat racing season will take
another big leap forward next year with the alignment of QIPCO British
Champions Day at Ascot and Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket's
Rowley Mile to create a £4.5m "Champions Weekend", featuring
six Group 1 races on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 October 2014.
This will present a fantastic shop window for the top level
of British Flat racing, generating a whole raft of benefits for British
racing as a whole and Newmarket Racecourses, Dubai Future Champions Day
and QIPCO British Champions Day in particular.
The new "Champions Weekend", with both days shown
live on Channel 4, will include the world's highest-rated race from last
year, the QIPCO Champion Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day, and the
world's highest-rated two-year-old race, the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, the
centrepiece of Dubai Future Champions Day.
Six Group 1 contests, three on each day, will put British
racing firmly in the international spotlight.
The Group 1 Fillies' Mile switches places with the Group 2
Rockfel Stakes to join the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and the Group 1
Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes on Dubai Future Champions Day.
On QIPCO British Champions Day, the QIPCO British Champions
Fillies & Mares Stakes has been upgraded to Group 1 status (with
immediate effect) and has doubled in value to £500,000 to sit alongside
the Group 1 QIPCO Champion Stakes and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II
Stakes Sponsored by QIPCO.
Newmarket will gain a high profile raceday by retaining its
fixture on the preceding Saturday (11 October in 2014), where the Betfred
Cesarewitch will be the highlight of a £450,000+ card.
This will see a significant prize money increase at
Newmarket and with the Group 3 Cornwallis Stakes being transferred to
Newmarket from Ascot, further strengthening the autumn two-year-old
programme at the Home of Racing, and with the Abernant Stakes in April
being upgraded to Group 3 status, Newmarket will now stage the highest
number of Group races in Britain.
Reverting to a gap of nearly two weeks between the
two-year-old races at Longchamp's Arc weekend and Dubai Future Champions
Day and moving races like the Fillies' Mile will help to rectify a number
of issues that have manifested themselves with Britain's two-year-old
autumn programme.
These changes satisfy European Pattern Committee (EPC)
requirements, therefore facilitating the upgrading of the QIPCO British
Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes to Group 1 status this year and
making the upgrading of the Group 2 QIPCO British Champions Sprint, which
increases in value from £250,000 to £350,000 this year, and the £200,000
Long Distance Cup (Group 3) distinct possibilities in the future.
The British Horseracing Authority, which represents the
sport on the EPC, today confirms the full set of changes to Britain's
Pattern race programme for 2013, as follows:
Upgraded from Group 2 to Group 1
BCS Fillies &
Mares
Ascot
3yo+ f
12 furlongs 19th October
Upgraded from Listed to Group 3
Abernant
Newmarket
3yo+
6 furlongs 18th
April
Superior
Mile
Haydock
Park
3yo+
8 furlongs 7th
September
Downgraded from Group 3 to Listed
Derby
Trial
Lingfield
Park
3yo c&g
11½ furlongs 11th May
Amy Starkey, East Regional Director for Jockey Club
Racecourses, responsible for the running of Newmarket Racecourses, said:
"I'm very pleased that Dubai Future Champions Day will
increase its status as Europe 's two-year-old championship day by
featuring three Group 1 races for the first time in 2014 and as part of a
superb two-day climax to the premier Flat racing season.
"We have made this move in the best interests of
British racing, working with multiple interested parties and listening to
feedback from trainers who asked us to help resolve the outstanding
issues with the two-year-old Pattern.
"Staging an additional fixture in the Saturday slot
will see a further significant injection of prize money at Newmarket and
we are very grateful for Dubai 's continued and highly valued support on
Dubai Future Champions Day."
Rod Street, Chief Executive of
British Champions Limited, said:
"One of the main underlying reasons for creating
British Champions Day was to maintain and protect Britain's status as a
world-leading Flat racing nation and the upgrade to the QIPCO British
Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and the injection of another £350,00
in prize money to the day this October represent fantastic progress in
only year three.
"We aspire to make ours the best Flat raceday in the
world and the alignment with Dubai Future Champions Day in 2014 presents
the perfect opportunity to build something even bigger than that.
"We are grateful for the efforts of BHA and others in
securing this outcome, and very much look forward to working with
Newmarket, Ascot and the other British Champions Series courses and
shareholders to co-promote a sensational "Champions Weekend"
next year."
Ruth Quinn, Director of Racing
for the British Horseracing Authority, said:
"Today's announcement represents a significant boost
for British Racing, and is also a positive development for the sport
across Europe. Our end of season Flat programme has taken another major
step forward, and we are delighted that the European Pattern Committee
supports Britain's further ambitions in this regard.
"Enhancing the quality of our racing wherever possible
and ensuring the integrity of our Pattern is a key responsibility of the
BHA, but this of course requires a collaborative approach. We are at our
strongest when we work together, and it is important that we all continue
to do so."
John Ferguson, bloodstock advisor to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid al Maktoum, said:
"We fully support the move of Dubai Future Champions
Day and welcome the rotation of the Group 1 Fillies' Mile with the Group
2 Rockfel Stakes to enhance the quality of the raceday. We are
pleased to support Newmarket and the Jockey Club."
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Amy Starkey, Newmarket Racecourses, 07901 716 233
Rod Street, British Champions Series, 07584 171 252
Robin Mounsey, British Horseracing Authority, 07584 171 551
Press
Release
European
Pattern Committee Announces Changes
to
2013 /2014 European Black Type Programme
At its recent annual meeting, the
European Pattern Committee (EPC) considered a number of changes from the
five EPC member countries and two associate members to Flat Black Type
(Group and Listed) races in Europe for 2013.
Upgrades
/ Downgrades in 2013
The
Committee approved upgrades for eight races for 2013 including the
granting of Group 1 status to the BCS Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot
on 19th October which increases the number of
Group 1 races on British Champions Day to three.
The Committee downgraded the ratings of six races for 2013
including the Europa Meile at Munich and the Royal Whip Stakes at the
Curragh, both which drop from Group 2 to Group 3. Two Listed races at
Deauville and Pisa drop out of the Black Type programme altogether.
A summary of the races to be upgraded and downgraded is attached.
Races at Risk of
Downgrading in 2014
As well as considering applications for changes for the current
year, the EPC reviews the performance of all Pattern and Listed races run
in member countries. Races that consistently underperform are identified
after which the host racecourse is put on notice that, if the race fails
to achieve the required rating parameter in that calendar year, it could
be subject to downgrade for the following year.
Fifteen races, including four Group 1 races, were identified as
being at risk of downgrading in 2014 if their ratings do not achieve the
required parameter in 2013. A list of these races is attached.
Future Champions Day 2014
The Committee approved a request from the
British Horseracing Authority and Newmarket Racecourse to stage in 2014 a
programme featuring three Group 1 races for 2 year olds (the Dewhurst
Stakes, the Fillies Mile and the Middle Park Stakes) and three other Group
races at Newmarket on Friday October 17th, the day before
British Champions Day at Ascot. The full programme for this fixture,
which is promoted as Future Champions Day, is attached. This change sees
the Dewhurst Stakes move back to its traditional slot in the calendar.
Quality Control
As well as
Pattern races, the EPC Ground Rules now also embrace Listed races,
meaning that all Black Type races across Europe are subject to consistent
quality control mechanisms. Europe has historically led the world in the
quality control of its Black Type programme, as demonstrated by the
reduction in the number of Listed races for the last two years - down
from 471 in 2010 to 460 in 2011 and to 445 in 2012. The EPC is committed
to an on-going review of its Ground Rules under which European Black Type
races are managed, recognising that recent foal crops have fallen across
Europe following a significant expansion in the horse population during
the 2000's.
Further changes
that are under consideration for 2014 include:
- Reducing the number of new Pattern and
Listed races that can be created in any year
- Setting higher rating thresholds which
races will have to achieve in future in order to qualify for
admission into the Pattern (i.e. an upgrade from Listed to Group 3)
- Further tightening of downgrading
procedures in the Listed race area
- During the year the EPC will further
consider the programme of Pattern races for two-year-olds, which it
considers to currently be still less than ideal.
Listed Races
The EPC has
made a recommendation to the International Federation of Horseracing
Authorities (IFHA) and the Society of International Thoroughbred
Auctioneers (SITA) that five races in Spain and one race in Switzerland
should be included as Listed races within the IFHA's International
Cataloguing Standards Book and so be accorded Listed status in sales
catalogues published by the world's major international auction houses
under the auspices of SITA.
Announcing
these changes, Brian Kavanagh, Chairman of the European Pattern Committee,
stated:
"The major
European racing authorities are now actively working together to create a
co-ordinated and compelling end of season Group 1 programme in Europe.
The addition of a third Group 1 race to British Champions Day is a
positive development and due recognition of the success of the event in
its first two years. The EPC supports Britain's ambition to stage five
Group 1 races on this card. The restoration of British Future Champions
Day to its correct calendar location is also to be welcomed, as it will ensure
a more suitable gap from the Arc weekend between races such as the Prix
Jean Luc Lagardere and the Dewhurst Stakes, the Prix Marcel Boussac and
the Fillies Mile, and the Prix de la Foret and the Challenge Stakes.
Together with British Champions Day, it will form an outstanding two days
of racing in 2014."
Ends
Notes for
Editors
(a) EPC Membership
- France
- Germany
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Italy
- Scandinavia (Associate member representing
Denmark, Norway and Sweden)
- Turkey (Associate member)
(b) EPC Chairman - Brian Kavanagh, CEO Horse Racing
Ireland
Upgrades /
Downgrades for 2013
Upgraded
from Group 2 to Group 1
BCS Fillies & Mares Ascot
3yo+f 12 furlongs 19th October
Upgraded
from Group 3 to Group 2
Kilboy Estate Curragh
3yo+ f 9 furlongs 21st July
Upgraded
from Listed to Group 3
Abernant Newmarket 3yo+
6 furlongs 18th April
Superior Mile Haydock Park
3yo+ 8 furlongs 7th September
Prix de Reux Deauville
3yo+ 2,500m 4th August
Golden Fleece* Leopardstown
2yo 8 furlongs 7th September
Premio del Giubileo Milan
3yo+ 1,800m 30th June
Zawawi Cup Jaegersro
3yo+ 1,200m 11th August
Downgraded
from Group 2 to Group 3
Europa Meile Munich
3yo+ 1,600m 15th September
Royal Whip Curragh 3yo+
10 furlongs 11th August
Downgraded
from Group 3 to Listed
Derby Trial Lingfield Park
3yo c&g 11½ furlongs 11th May
2000 Guineas Trial Leopardstown
3yo c&g 8 furlongs 14th April
Downgraded
from Listed to out of the Black Type programme
Grand Handicap de Deauville
Deauville 3yo+ 1,600m 11th August
Premio Andred Pisa
3yo+ f 2,200m 24th March
* This race is titled the ICON Breeders Cup
Juvenile Turf Trial (registered as the Golden Fleece)
Races at Risk of Downgrading in 2014
Automatic downgrade of races at risk of downgrade in 2014 if
not achieving their required rating parameter in 2013
Gran Criterium
Milan 2yo c&f 1,600m Group
1
Derby Trial
Leopardstown 3yo 10 furlongs Group 2
Dee
Chester 3yo c&g 10 furlongs
Group 3
Gallinule
Curragh 3yo 10 furlongs Group 3
Queens Vase
Ascot 3yo 16 furlongs Group 3
Enrico Camici
Pisa 4yo+ 1,200m Listed
Criterium
Labronico Livorno 2yo 1,500m Listed
Criterium
Aretuso Siracusa 2yo f 1,200m Listed
Criterium del
Mediterraneo Siracusa 2yo 1,600m Listed
Montenica
Deauville (AWT) 3yo c&g 1,300m Listed
Under scrutiny for
2014 (depending upon their performance in 2013), but are not at this
point subject to automatic downgrade:
Criterium de
Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud 2yo c&f 2,000m Group
1
Grosser Preis
von Bayern Munich 3yo+ 2,400m Group 1
Poule d'Essai
des Poulains Longchamp 3yo c 1,600m Group 1
Goldene
Peitsche Baden-Baden 3yo+ 1,200m Group 2
Noailles
Longchamp 3yo c&f 2,000m Group 2
British Future
Champions Day Programme Friday 17th October 2014
Dewhurst
Group 1 2yo c&f 7 furlongs
Middle
Park Group 1 2yo c 6 furlongs
Fillies'
Mile Group 1 2yo f 8 furlongs Swap with Rockfel
Challenge
Group 2 3yo+ 7 furlongs
Cornwallis
Group 3 2yo 5 furlongs Moved from Ascot
Darley
Group 3 3yo+ 9 furlongs
Pride
Listed 3yo+ f 10 furlongs Ex Severals
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