QIPCO British Champions Day Entries Close on Tuesday

Entries for the five championship races on QIPCO British Champions Day, which offer total prize money of £3 million, making the programme at Ascot on Saturday 15 October by far the most valuable in British racing history, close at 12 noon on Tuesday (2 August).

The £1.3m QIPCO Champion Stakes (Group 1) over 1m 2f and the £1m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO (Group 1) over a mile are the afternoon’s main highlights and represent the climax to the Middle Distance and Mile divisions in the QIPCO British Champions Series.

The £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Sprint (Group 2) over 6 furlongs (formerly the Diadem Stakes), the £250,000 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares (Group 2) over 1m 4f (formerly the Pride Stakes) and the £200,000 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 3) over 2 miles (formerly the Jockey Club Cup) provide the climax to their respective Series categories and although they do not have official Group 1 status, they do have Group 1 conditions.

“Our main message to trainers pondering their entries for QIPCO British Champions Day is that these three races do not entail penalties for Group race winners and, with the level of prize money that they offer, they are effectively Group 1 contests in all but name,” commented Rod Street, Chief Executive of British Champions Series Limited.

“We hope that all five races will attract strong entries, especially the QIPCO Champion Stakes, which will be the most valuable race ever run in Britain, and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which will be by far the most valuable mile race ever run in Europe.

“Frankel’s likely participation in the latter might make some owners and trainers think twice about taking him on, but it’s worth pointing out that second place in the QE2 is worth £215,000, which is more than any other mile race in Britain carries in first place prize money.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Alistair Haggis, British Champions Series: 07761 896 500; ahaggis@britishchampionsseries.com
QIPCO British Champions Series – the world’s finest Flat racing
www.britishchampionsseries.com