Wolverhampton Racecourse's twilight fixture on Saturday, October 26,
marks the start of an All-Weather Racing revolution following the announcement
earlier this week of ARC's £2-million injection of prize money and creation of
the £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday (April 18)
next year.
Horses qualify for the six championship races on All-Weather
Championships Finals Day by running in a minimum of three races at Britain's
four All-Weather tracks - three owned by ARC, Lingfield Park, Southwell and
Wolverhampton, and The Jockey Club's Kempton Park - between October 26 and
April 12.
The other route is to win one of the 16 WIN & YOU'RE IN races which
give guaranteed free entry into a specific race on Finals Day - the first of
these contests is at Lingfield Park on October 31.
Therefore, the first chance to begin qualifying is at Wolverhampton on
October 26, when seven races are staged between 5.45pm and 8.45pm.
ARC's huge prize money boost into All-Weather Racing has resulted in 52
new Class 2 and 3 races being inserted into a much-improved race programme
developed by the British Horseracing Authority.
Three of these new races are run at Wolverhampton on October 26 - a
£19,000 seven-furlong handicap (Mile category) (5.45pm), a £19,000 handicap
over nearly 14 furlongs (Marathon category) (6.45pm) and a £14,000 five-furlong
nursery (Three-Year-Olds category) (8.15pm).
Jim Allen, Racing Director at ARC, commented today: "We are very
much looking forward to the seven races at Wolverhampton on Saturday, October
26 as they mark a new era in All-Weather Racing.
"They, like every All-Weather race afterwards up to April 12, are
qualifiers for the thrilling new All-Weather Championships Finals Day.
"Finals Day at Lingfield Park on Good Friday will be made up of six
championship races and an apprentice contest. There is the Three-Year-Old race,
the Sprint, the Mile, the Marathon and the Fillies & Mares, which all have
prize funds of £150,000, and the Middle Distance race worth £200,000.
"There will now be a narrative to the All-Weather season as we have
created something exciting and joined up, which people will be able to follow
easily."
All-Weather Championships Finals Day will be the richest All-Weather
card ever staged in Europe, worth £1 million.
THREE-YEAR-OLD CATEGORY
This comprises every Two-Year-Old race run in 2013 and every
Three-Year-Old race run in 2014 on the All-Weather tracks over the qualifying
period and culminates with the Final on Championships Finals Day over seven
furlongs (1,400 metres). With prize money of £150,000, it is the UK's richest
Three-Year-Old All-Weather race. Sponsored by 32Red.com.
SPRINT CATEGORY
For horseracing's All-Weather speed merchants, the All-Weather
Championships Sprint category will deliver the best Four-Year-Old & Older
All-Weather Sprinter. The Championship Sprint Final will take place over six
furlongs (1,200 metres). With prize money of £150,000, it is the UK's richest
All-Weather Sprint race. Sponsored by bookmakers.co.uk.
MILE CATEGORY
The Mile category aims to find the best All-Weather Milers with the
Championship Final over eight furlongs (1,600 metres). With prize money of
£150,000, it is the UK's richest All-Weather Mile race. Sponsored by Ladbrokes.
MARATHON CATEGORY
With races ranging in distance from 13 furlongs (2,600 metres) to 16
furlongs (two miles or 3,200 metres), the Marathon category will produce the
best All-Weather 'Stayer' with the Final over 16 furlongs (3,200 metres). With
prize money of £150,000, it is the UK's richest All-Weather Marathon race.
Sponsored by 32Red.com.
FILLIES & MARES CATEGORY
The Fillies & Mares All-Weather category comprises every race on the
All-Weather tracks over the season confined to Fillies & Mares. The Final
is run over seven furlongs (1,400 metres) with prize money of £150,000. It is
the UK's richest Fillies & Mares All-Weather race. Sponsored by 32Red.com.
MIDDLE DISTANCE CATEGORY
With races ranging in distance from 10 furlongs (2,000 metres) to 12
furlongs (2,400 metres), the Middle Distance category comprises all Middle
Distance races during the qualifying period, with the Final - the All-Weather
Champion Stakes - over 10 furlongs (2,000 metres) and worth £200,000. It is the
UK's richest All-Weather Race. Sponsored by Coral.
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