Thu 22 Oct 2015
The European Breeders Fund is delighted with the initiative launched by JCR and ARC and, as one of the largest sponsors in Britain, wishes to do all that it can to support them. Accordingly the British EBF will in future only engage in new joint sponsorships with Authorized Betting Partners. We will work both with those groups and the independent racecourses over the coming months as the allocation of EBF funds, estimated at over £1.3 million for 2016, is determined.
Kerry Murphy
European Breeders Fund CEO
21 October 2015
Wed 21 Oct 2015
Eight valuable handicaps for fillies and mares, run between seven and nine furlongs, are being introduced during the third season of the All-Weather Championships, which starts next week on Thursday, October 29, 2015 and concludes with the £1.1 million Finals Day at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, March 25, 2016.
The Class Two and Three handicaps, worth up to £27,000 each, take place between January and March next year at Lingfield Park, Kempton Park and Wolverhampton Racecourses.
The European Breeders Fund (EBF) is backing the new races, which provide extra opportunities for fillies and mares through the winter months with the best horses set to compete on Good Friday in the 32Red Fillies and Mares Final worth £150,000.
This extension of its support means the EBF is contributing a total of £109,000 towards prize money during the third season of the All-Weather Championships.
The significant figure is spread across 44 races with EBF conditions at the five All-Weather racecourses in Great Britain – Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Southwell, run by the Arena Racing Company (ARC), the Jockey Club’s Kempton Park and Chelmsford City, during the All-Weather Championships. The races range from two-year-old maidens to Listed events.
Philip Freedman, the British EBF Chairman, said: “The British EBF is very pleased to be increasing support for the All-Weather Championships this season by providing funding to assist the programming of a new series of worthwhile opportunities for fillies and mares.
“These races have been designed as specific stepping stones leading towards participation in the 32Red.com Fillies’ and Mares’ Final worth £150,000 on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, March 25, 2016.”
Martin Cruddace, the ARC Chief Executive, welcomed the EBF’s involvement: “ARC established the All-Weather Championships to raise the profile and prestige of All-Weather racing.
“We are extremely grateful to the trustees of the British EBF and stallion owners of British-based sires for extending their existing prize money contribution to include extra races on the All-Weather.”
Kerry Murphy, the EBF Chief Executive, added: “The British EBF’s support of the All-Weather Championships reinforces our commitment to encouraging quality racing across Europe throughout the year.”
EBF SUPPORT BY RACECOURSE DURING THE THIRD SEASON OF THE ALL-WEATHER CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2015/16:
CHELMSFORD CITY: 2 races, EBF contribution £5,500
KEMPTON PARK: 10 races, EBF contribution £29,500
LINGFIELD PARK: 19 races, EBF contribution £51,000
SOUTHWELL RACECOURSE: 5 races, EBF contribution £2,500
WOLVERHAMPTON RACECOURSE: 8 races, EBF contribution £20,500
THE NEW HANDICAPS FOR FILLIES & MARES DURING THE THIRD SEASON OF THE ALL-WEATHER CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Lingfield Park
27 Jan, 7f, £16,500
19 Feb, 7f, £16,500
1 Mar, 8f, £27,000
Wolverhampton
6 Jan, 8f, £16,500
1 Feb, 8f, £27,000
19 Mar, 7f, £16,500
Kempton Park
21 Jan, 8f, £16,500
2 March, 7f, £16,500
Tue 6 Oct 2015
The British EBF sponsors tomorrows ‘stayers maiden’ at Nottingham over 8f for two year olds. Worth a minimum of £10,000 in prizemoney the concept of this race, one of four to be held in 2015, is to offer opportunities for late maturing two year olds who may be campaigned in staying races throughout their career. The conditions of the maiden races are that the horses entered must be sired by a horse that won over 10f or more and be EBF eligible. There are four of these races scheduled over the autumn programme including today’s race:
7 October Nottingham over 8f
13 October Leicester over 7f
21 October Newmarket over 8f
9 November Kempton over 7f
The ‘stayers maidens’ have been created following an ongoing review of the race programme for staying horses by the BHA’s Flat Racing Committee, which includes representation from the Thoroughbred Breeders Association, owners, trainers and racecourses. The BHA have also announced that this initiative will see a further ten maiden races with these conditions programmed for the latter half of next season.
Philip Freedman, Chairman of the British EBF, said, “With the majority of our funding coming from British stallion owners and having many of the best sires in the world standing in Britain, we are pleased to support these staying maidens and, in turn, the British bloodstock and racing industry. Attention has been drawn to the lack of opportunities for the true staying type and it is hoped that these races will be the first step on the ladder to an enhanced stayers programme”.
