British Champions Series

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's Stand Stakes Mid June 5 furlongs Ascot
Commonwealth Cup Mid June 6 furlongs Ascot
Diamond 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
Race Date Distance Course
2,000 Guineas Early May 1 mile Newmarket
Lockinge Stakes Mid May 1 mile Newbury
Queen Anne Stakes Mid June 1 mile Ascot
St. James's Palace Stakes Mid June 1 mile Ascot
Sussex Stakes Late July 1 mile Goodwood
Sun Chariot Stakes Early October 1 mile Newmarket
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Mid October 1 mile Ascot

Middle Distance
Race Date Distance Course
Coronation Cup Early June 1 mile 4 furlongs Epsom
Epsom Derby Early June 1 mile 4 furlongs Epsom
Prince of Wales's Stakes Mid June 1 mile 2 furlongs Ascot
Eclipse Stakes Early July 1 mile 2 furlongs Sandown
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Late July 1 mile 4 furlongs Ascot
Juddmonte International Stakes Mid August 1 mile 2 furlongs York
Champion Stakes Mid October 1 mile 2 furlongs Ascot

Long Distance
Race Date Distance Course
Yorkshire Cup Mid May 1 mile 6 furlongs York
Ascot Gold Cup Mid June 2 miles 4 furlongs Ascot
Goodwood Cup Early August 2 miles Goodwood
Lonsdale Cup Late August 2 miles 1/2 furlong York
Doncaster Cup Mid September 2 miles 2 furlongs Doncaster
St. Leger Stakes Mid September 1 mile 6 furlongs Doncaster
British Champions Long Distance Cup Mid October 2 miles Ascot

Fillies & Mares
Race Date Distance Course
1,000 Guineas Early May 1 mile Newmarket
Epsom Oaks Early June 1 mile 4 furlongs Epsom
Coronation Stakes Mid June 1 mile Ascot
Falmouth Stakes Mid July 1 mile Newmarket
Nassau Stakes Early August 1 mile 2 furlongs Goodwood
Yorkshire Oaks Mid/Late August 1 mile 4 furlongs York
British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes Mid October 1 mile 4 furlongs Ascot

See also

References
  1. "British Champions' Series launched to broaden appeal". BBC Sport. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  2. "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.
  3. "British Champions Series secures record sponsorship deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.