Monday 1 August 2011

QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES 2011


QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release, Sunday, July 31, 2011
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.” 

About the QIPCO British Champions Series:
The QIPCO British Champions Series is designed to throw the spotlight on Britain’s best Flat races and will climax on 15 October 2011 with the richest fixture in British racing history, the brand new QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot.

The Series features 35 Flat races staged at ten of the UK’s leading racecourses: Ascot, Doncaster, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Haydock Park, Newbury, Newmarket’s July Course, Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, Sandown Park and York.

It encompasses the top races at British racing’s key festivals, including the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket, the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom, Royal Ascot, the Newmarket July Festival, Glorious Goodwood, the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York and the Ladbrokes St Leger Festival at Doncaster.

The QIPCO British Champions Series comprises five easy-to-follow champion categories - Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares.

The seven highest-rated races feature in each category, including a same-day finale in each on QIPCO British Champions Day.

Long-term, the QIPCO British Champions Series aims to attract a wider audience for the UK’s second most attended sport.

About QIPCO Holding:
QIPCO Holding is one of the leading private investment companies in Qatar. Established in 1999, QIPCO Holding has a diverse range of interests, including real estate, construction, oil and gas, finance and health services. Its portfolio of interests includes Qatar Bloodstock, which owns the stallion Makfi, the winner of the 2010 2000 Guineas.


Qatar Investment & Projects Development Holding Company (QIPCO Holding) is owned by six brothers who are members of the Royal Family of Qatar. The Chief Executive is Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, who together with his brothers are nephews of the Emir of the State of Qatar.


Over time, the group has diversified itself to form individual subsidiaries, each operating independently and specialising in their fields of expertise. For more information visit: www.qipco.com.qa





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



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