The British Champions Series is a series of 35 top British flat races, which culminates in a day-long festival of championship races, known as British Champions Day. It was inaugurated in the 2011 season to draw together some of Britain's key flat races into a meaningful championship, with the hope of generating coverage and stimulating interest among the more casual sports fan.[1] It was believed to have achieved its aims based on an increase of 7% attendance at the race days that were part of the 2011 series, as opposed to a 3.9% increase in attendances across the season's race programme as a whole.[2]
The championships have been sponsored by the Qatari investment group QIPCO since its inception in 2011. In June 2015 QIPCO renewed their sponsorship until at least 2024 in a deal worth more than £50m, the biggest sponsorship deal ever for British horse racing.[3]
The series is split into five divisions - Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares. This series includes all Group One races in Great Britain, except those limited to two year old horses.
Races
Sprint
Race | Date | Distance | Course |
King Charles III Stakes | Mid June | 5 furlongs | Ascot |
Commonwealth Cup | Mid June | 6 furlongs | Ascot |
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes | Mid June | 6 furlongs | Ascot |
July Cup | Mid July | 6 furlongs | Newmarket |
Nunthorpe Stakes | Late August | 5 furlongs | York |
Haydock Sprint Cup | Early September | 6 furlongs | Haydock |
British Champions Sprint Stakes | Mid October | 6 furlongs | Ascot |
Mile
Middle Distance
Long Distance
Fillies & Mares
See also
References
- ^ "British Champions' Series launched to broaden appeal". BBC Sport. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ "British Champions' Series organisers buoyed by new figures". Sport Business. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ "British Champions Series secures record sponsorship deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
External links
- British Champions Series Official Site
British Champions Series
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Former | |
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