QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES

Transcription

1 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE 2017

2 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE FOREWORD CONTENTS p01 Foreword Note from the Chief Executive p02 QIPCO British Champions Series Race Schedule p04 The 2016 Series in Numbers p06 Five Magic Moments of the 2016 Series p07 Five of the Best Finishes of the 2016 Series p08 The Millionaires Club p09 The Class of 2017 Sprint p10 The Class of 2017 Mile p11 The Class of 2017 Middle Distance p12 The Class of 2017 Long Distance p13 The Class of 2017 Fillies & Mares p14 Five Flying the Frankel Flag p16 Lester Piggott p18 Great winners of the 2000 Guineas p20 QIPCO British Champions Series Ambassadors p22 The Stobart Flat Jockeys Championship Contenders p24 The Stobart Flat Jockeys Championship: 2016 Final Standings p25 The Stobart Champion Apprentice Jockey Contenders p26 The Champion Owners Title p27 QIPCO British Champions Day p28 Title Partner QIPCO Holding FOREWORD NOTE FROM ROD STREET Now in its seventh year, the QIPCO British Champions Series incorporates Great Britain s top 35 races under one banner to highlight the very best quality of competition the sport has to offer. Last year, a total of 18.8million in prize money was available across the 35 races, which represents a 43.5% increase in prize money in the five years since its launch in This could not have been achieved without the collaborative approach of the industry and the participating racecourses working together, which has also resulted in QIPCO British Champions Day becoming firmly established in the autumn racing calendar. Prize money will increase again across the Series in 2017, notably on QIPCO British Champions Day when over 4.3 million in prize money will be on offer, thanks to a further 100,000 being added to the prize fund for the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup. We remain ever grateful for QIPCO s valued sponsorship and vision for QIPCO British Champions Day and the Series as a whole. Rod Street, Chief Executive British Champions Series 01

3 THE ROAD TO QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY MAY SAT 6TH MAY NEWMARKET QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS (MILE) 2016 GALILEO GOLD 2015 GLENEAGLES 2014 NIGHT OF THUNDER SUN 7TH MAY NEWMARKET QIPCO 1000 GUINEAS (FILLIES & MARES) 2016 MINDING 2015 LEGATISSIMO 2014 MISS FRANCE FRI 19TH MAY YORK BETWAY YORKSHIRE CUP (LONG DISTANCE) 2016 CLEVER COOKIE 2015 SNOW SKY 2014 GOSPEL CHOIR SAT 20TH MAY NEWBURY AL SHAQAB LOCKINGE STAKES (MILE) 2016 BELARDO 2015 NIGHT OF THUNDER 2014 OLYMPIC GLORY JUNE FRI 2ND JUNE EPSOM INVESTEC OAKS (FILLIES & MARES) 2016 MINDING 2015 QUALIFY 2014 TAGHROODA WED 21ST JUNE ROYAL ASCOT PRINCE OF WALES S STAKES (MIDDLE DISTANCE) 2016 MY DREAM BOAT 2015 FREE EAGLE 2014 THE FUGUE TUE 20TH JUNE ROYAL ASCOT QUEEN ANNE STAKES (MILE) 2016 TEPIN 2015 SOLOW 2014 TORONADO ST JAMES S PALACE STAKES (MILE) 2016 GALILEO GOLD 2015 GLENEAGLES 2014 KINGMAN KING S STAND STAKES (SPRINT) 2016 PROFITABLE 2015 GOLDREAM 2014 SOLE POWER SAT 3RD JUNE EPSOM INVESTEC DERBY (MIDDLE DISTANCE) 2016 HARZAND 2015 GOLDEN HORN 2014 AUSTRALIA FRI 2ND JUNE EPSOM INVESTEC CORONATION CUP (MIDDLE DISTANCE) 2016 POSTPONED 2015 PETHER S MOON 2014 CIRRUS DES AIGLES THUR 22ND JUNE ROYAL ASCOT GOLD CUP (LONG DISTANCE) 2016 ORDER OF ST GEORGE 2015 TRIP TO PARIS 2014 LEADING LIGHT FRI 23RD JUNE ROYAL ASCOT COMMONWEALTH CUP (SPRINT) 2016 QUIET REFLECTION 2015 MUHHARAR FRI 23RD JUNE ROYAL ASCOT CORONATION STAKES (FILLES & MARES) 2016 QEMAH 2015 ERVEDYA 2014 RIZEENA SAT 24TH JUNE ROYAL ASCOT DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES (SPRINT) 2016 TWILIGHT SON 2015 UNDRAFTED 2014 SLADE POWER JULY SAT 8TH JULY SANDOWN CORAL-ECLIPSE STAKES (MIDDLE DISTANCE) 2016 HAWKBILL 2015 GOLDEN HORN 2014 MUKHADRAM WED 2ND AUG GOODWOOD QUATAR SUSSEX STAKES (MILE) 2016 THE GURKHA 2015 SOLOW 2014 KINGMAN TUE 1ST AUG GOODWOOD QUATAR GOODWOOD CUP (LONG DISTANCE) 2016 BIG ORANGE 2015 BIG ORANGE 2014 CAVALRYMAN AUGUST SAT 29TH JULY NEWMARKET KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (MIDDLE DISTANCE) SPONSORED BY QIPCO 2016 HIGHLAND REEL 2015 POSTPONED 2014 TAGHROODA SAT 15TH JULY NEWMARKET DARLEY JULY CUP (SPRINT) 2016 ALIMATO 2015 MUHHARAR 2014 SLADE POWER FRI 14TH JULY SANDOWN TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH STAKES (FILLIES & MARES) 2016 ALICE SPRINGS 2015 AMAZING MARIA 2014 INTEGRAL THUR 3RD AUG GOODWOOD QUATAR NASSAU STAKES (FILLIES & MARES) 2016 MINDING 2015 LEGATISSIMO 2014 SULTANINA WED 23RD AUG YORK JUDDMONTE INTERNATIONAL STAKES (MIDDLE DISTANCE) 2016 POSTPONED 2015 ARABIAN QUEEN 2014 AUSTRALIA THUR 24TH AUG YORK DARLEY YORKSHIRE OAKS (FILLIES & MARES) 2016 SEVENTH HEAVEN 2015 PLEASCACH 2014 TAPESTRY FRI 25TH AUG YORK COOLMORE NUNTHORPE STAKES (SPRINT) 2016 MECCA'S ANGEL 2015 MECCA'S ANGEL 2014 SOLE POWER WEATHERBYS HAMILTON LONSDALE CUP (LONG DISTANCE) 2016 QUEST FOR MORE 2015 MAX DYNAMITE 2014 PALE MIMOSA SEPTEMBER SAT 21ST OCT ASCOT 2017 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY (MILE) BRITAIN S RICHEST RACEDAY 4.26M IN PRIZE MONEY FIVE CATEGORY FINALS SAT 7TH OCT NEWMARKET KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN SUN CHARIOT STAKES (MILE) 2016 ALICE SPRINGS 2015 ESTORIQUE OCTOBER SAT 16TH SEPT DONCASTER ST LEGER (LONG DISTANCE) 2016 HARBOUR LAW 2015 SIMPLE VERSE 2014 KINGSTON HILL FRI 15TH SEPT DONCASTER DONCASTER CUP (LONG DISTANCE) 2016 SHEIZHZAYEDROAD 2015 PALLASTOR 2014 ESTIMATE SAT 9TH SEPT HAYDOCK PARK 32RED SPRINT CUP (SPRINT) 2016 QUIET REFLECTION 2015 TWILIGHT SON 2014 G FORCE KEY RACE TYPE SPRINT RACE TYPE MILE RACE TYPE LONG DISTANCE RACE TYPE MIDDLE DISTANCE RACE TYPE FILLIES & MARES 02 03

4 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE 2016 SERIES IN NUMBERS QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE 2016 SERIES IN NUMBERS 2016 SERI3S 1N NUMB3RS 35 5,648,937 PRIZE MONEY WON BY AIDAN O BRIEN TRAINED RUNNERS RACES 5 ODDS-ON FAVOURITES DEFEATED 387 RUNNERS IN 35 RACES AVERAGING 11 RUNNERS PER RACE IN THE SERIES RATING OF THE 129OFFICIAL MIGHTY ALMANZOR ONE AMERICAN-TRAINED WINNER TEPIN CAME OVER AND CONQUERED HER RIVALS IN THE QUEEN ANNE STAKES AT ROYAL ASCOT 16 WINNING FAVOURITES - THE BIGGEST PRICED OF THEM BEING LIMATO (9-2) IN THE DARLEY JULY CUP 31 OF THE RACES WERE WON BY HORSES WHO REMAIN IN TRAINING THIS YEAR 2016 SERI3S 1N NUMB3RS TWO RACES ON QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY RANKED BY LONGINES IN THE TOP TEN AT THE WORLD S BEST RACEHORSE & BEST HORSERACE CEREMONY IN LONDON. THE QIPCO CHAMPION STAKES WAS FIFTH AND THE QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES WAS TENTH 22-1 THE BIGGEST PRICE WINNER OF A SERIES RACE WAS HARBOUR LAW IN THE ST LEGER TEN WINS FOR JOCKEY RYAN MOORE PLUS SEVEN SECONDS 4 ½ LENGTHS THE BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN ACHIEVED BY POSTPONED IN THE INVESTEC CORONATION CUP 2 FRENCH-TRAINED WINNERS QEMAH AND ALMANZOR BOTH FOR JEAN-CLAUDE ROUGET 04 05

5 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE FIVE MAGIC MOMENTS QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE FIVE BEST FINISHES FIVE MAGIC MOMENTS IN THE 2016 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES FIVE OF THE BEST FINISHES IN THE 2016 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES 1 HISTORY MADE IN THE ST LEGER Laura Mongan was shaking in disbelief after Harbour Law had won the world s oldest Classic in dramatic fashion - in the process making her the first female trainer to land the race. It was the Epsom-based trainer s first runner in a Group One race. Beforehand, she had secured 207,997 in win prize money on the Flat since First prize in the Group 1 contest was 396, THE SUSSEX STAKES This was billed as a rematch between Galileo Gold and The Gurkha, who had finished first and second in the St James s Palace Stakes, and it did not disappoint. Frankie Dettori dictated on Galileo Gold and it looked like he might confirm the form for a long way, only for The Gurkha to claw him back in the final strides and win by a neck. Ribchester flew home in third, just a short head further back, in a gripping finale. 2 FILLY BECOMES A BIG NOISE The syndicate-owned Quiet Reflection was a relatively cheap purchased at just 44,000 guineas, and was steered to glory by former jump jockey Dougie Costello, having his first winner on the Flat at Ascot - let alone at the Royal Meeting. It was also a first Royal Ascot success for trainer Karl Burke. 2 THE ST LEGER Racegoers were still trying to take in the fact that Idaho had unseated his rider when a second drama was played out. With the odds-on favourite out of the race, Housesofparliament and Ventura Storm looked like they were going to fight out the finish. The latter won that battle but not the war - Harbour Law wearing the pair of them down to win by half a length. 3 DERBY JOY FOR IRISH VETERAN The 67-year-old Dermot Weld has won most of the big races around the world but success in the Derby had eluded him. His chances of breaking his duck seemed remote when Harzand ripped off a shoe while travelling to Epsom, but the colt overcame that late injury scare to win under Pat Smullen, who was also landing the iconic contest for the first time. 3 DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES A tremendous tussle in which five horses flashed past the line almost as one. The photo finish revealed that Twilight Son, partnered by Ryan Moore, had taken the spoils from Gold-Fun, with Signs Of Blessing third, Magical Memory fourth and Suedois fifth. The distances were a neck, a short head, a head and another short head. 4 OH BABY! INCREDIBLE 24-HOUR TREBLE Adam Kirby became a Dad for the first time on the morning of Royal Ascot and then, in the afternoon, won the King s Stand Stakes aboard Profitable for trainer, Clive Cox. The following day, Kirby and Cox combined to strike again with My Dream Boat - the outsider of the field in the Prince of Wales s Stakes. 4 DONCASTER CUP Quest For More was favourite, having made all in the Lonsdale Cup on his previous start, and led almost everywhere bar the line. Martin Harley nursed Sheikhzayedroad, a consistent but notoriously tricky ride, ahead of him right on the line. The winning margin was a nose. 5 FRENCH ACE CONFIRMS HE IS THE REAL DEAL Jean Claude-Rouget resisted pressure to run Almanzor, the highest-rated horse in Europe, on home soil in the Prix de l Arc de Triomphe and instead stuck to a mile and a quarter at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day. His decision was vindicated, Almanzor winning in emphatic style by two lengths. The runner-up? Found, who had won the Arc in his absence. 5 CORAL-ECLIPSE The uphill finish at Sandown lends itself to great finishes and this was no exception, with Hawkbill and The Gurkha locking horns from two out. The pair had a great scrap which hung in the balance until late on - Hawkbill keeping on the stronger to win by half a length

6 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE MILLIONAIRES CLUB QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE CLASS OF 2017 THE SIX MOST VALUABLE JEWELS IN THE SERIES. GLITTERING CAST FOR THE CLASS OF 2017 SPRINT: The sprint category of the QIPCO British Champions Series has all ingredients to satisfy the THE MILLIONAIRES CLUB biggest of appetites among those with a need for speed. A record six QIPCO British Champions Series races will be worth seven figures this year after it was revealed in February that the Juddmonte International will carry an increased total prize fund of 1 million. Prize-money for the Group 1 contest at York, won by stars such as Sea The Stars (2009) and Frankel (2012) in recent years, has risen by 100,000 and it will become the richest race run on the Knavesmire on August 23, The other Champions Series worth at least 1 million this summer are the Investec Derby, QIPCO King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Qatar Sussex Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and QIPCO Champion Stakes. The Investec Derby, worth 1.5 million, remains the most valuable prize. When the Champions Series was launched, in 2011, only two races in its programme were worth 1million or more. The Darley Yorkshire Oaks and Coolmore Nunthorpe will both see increases to reach their richest ever renewals at 350,000 each, while the Qatar Goodwood Cup, one of the showpiece staying races of the Champions Series, has been elevated to Group 1 status and will be worth 500,000 an increase of 200,000 on last year. The Group 2 QIPCO Long Distance Cup will also see an injection of prizemoney with an additional 100,000 added to its prize-fund courtesy of sponsors, QIPCO. Exciting new faces on the scene will include Lady Aurelia, the spectacular winner of the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot last season. The filly, trained in America by Wesley Ward, won impressively on her return at Keeneland already has the King s Stand Stakes in June on her agenda. The unbeaten Caravaggio was also a taking winner at the royal meeting last year, in the Coventry Stakes, and could go down the sprinting path if he is betrayed by lack of stamina over a mile. Aidan O Brien has said that no horse has clocked quicker fractions than the Scat Daddy colt on the gallops at Ballydoyle. Another pair of two-year-olds from 2016 who appeal as the type to do well in sprints are Blue Point, the easy Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes winner, and Harry Angel, the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes victor. Queen Kindly, the daughter of Frankel who won the Lowther Stakes, and the David Elsworth-trained Sir Dancealot could also make their mark but last year s juveniles are going to have to graduate pretty quickly if they are to match strides with the old guard. Mecca s Angel, the dual Nunthorpe winner, and Twilight Son, a two-time winner in the QIPCO British Champions Series, have departed the scene but the likes of Limato, Quiet Reflection, Profitable and The Tin Man will provide formidable opposition. Limato was the electrifying winner of last year s Darley July Cup, when he showed what he was capable of granted 6f and a fast surface. Fourth that day was Profitable, who had earlier won the King s Stand Stakes. Quiet Reflection landed the Commonwealth Cup and Sprint Cup in 2016, while The Tin Man delivered on earlier promise when shining in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint at Ascot. In addition to Caravaggio, O Brien can call on the likes of Washington DC and Acapulco, while Signs Of Blessing, Growl, Brando, Suedois and Magical Memory will be among others coming to the party. THE SPRINT RACES SCHEDULE JUNE 20: 5f King s Stand Stakes 400,000 at Royal Ascot JUNE 23: 6f Commonwealth Cup 400,000 at Royal Ascot JUNE 24: 6f Diamond Jubilee Stakes 600,000 at Royal Ascot JULY 15: 6f Darley July Cup 500,000 at Newmarket AUGUST 25: 5f Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes 350,000 at York SEPTEMBER 9: 6f 32Red Sprint Cup 260,000 at Haydock OCTOBER 21: 6f QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes 600,000 at Ascot 08 09

7 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE CLASS OF 2017 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE CLASS OF 2017 MILE: The class of 2016 took it in turns to beat each other in the mile category. Will it be the same story this season, or will one horse take the division by the scruff of the neck? If you were betting on it, you would imagine the seven races that comprise the division will again be divided. For example, Churchill, whose five wins as a two-year-old in 2016 included two Group 1 victories, is hot favourite to win the opening race of the category - the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6 - but may then move up in distance. Those who have made Aidan O Brien-trained colt ante-post favourite for the Investec Derby at Epsom on June 3 will certainly be hoping that is is the case. The unbeaten Caravaggio, another colt in the care of O Brien, also remains a 2000 Guineas possible but there are question marks over his ability to be fully effective over a mile. He could take the sprinting path. Three unbeaten colts - Al Wukair, Eminent and Barney Roy - have already put down solid markers this season and then, of course, there is Rhododendron, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas favourite. The Gurkha, winner of the Qatar Sussex last year, and Belardo, who landed the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, have been retired. So has Awtaad, the Irish 2000 Guineas victor. But many of last season s top milers will be back for more, and in addition, the outstanding Solow, who raced only once early last term, is also set to return to the fray. Minding s tremendous campaign in 2016 included victories in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. The latter contest was acclaimed as the tenth best race run anywhere in the world at the Longines World s Best Racehorse & Best Horse Race Ceremony at London in January. She also flourished over middle distances and her versatility means she will have a range of options. Galileo Gold won two early races in the mile category last year - the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and St James s Palace Stakes - and also went close in the Sussex Stakes before his exploits seemed to catch up with him in the latter part of the campaign. With his batteries recharged, he seems certain to again be a force for the yard of Hugo Palmer. The Lockinge, sponsored by his owners, is already a stated aim. Ribchester, placed in the 2000 Guineas and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, appeals as the type to thrive as a fouryear-old and made an encouraging return in Dubai, while Lightning Spear should also make his presence felt. Solow lit up the Champions Series in 2015, landing the Queen Anne Stakes, Qatar Sussex Stakes and QIPCOsponsored Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. A leg problem kept him off the track for most of last season but his connections hope he will be ready for Royal Ascot. MIDDLE DISTANCE: The Middle Distance category of the QIPCO British Champions Series is already brimming with quality - regardless of the three-year-olds who emerge on scene. Almanzor, Minding, Jack Hobbs, Postponed, Highland Reel and Journey - to name just six - will be waiting for the the classic generation. The appearances of Almanzor this term will, in particular, be keenly anticipated after the way he excelled in the second half of last season. His victory in the French Derby marked him down as a top-notch performer but it was his performances in the autumn that really made most racing fans sit up and take notice. He pounced from off the pace when beating a star-studded field in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September and then signed off for the year with a stunning debut in the Champions Series - quickening away from Found and Jack Hobbs in the QIPCO Champion Stakes. The latter race was named the best race to be run in Britain last year and fifth best run anywhere on the planet at the Longines World s Best Racehorse & Best Horse Race Ceremony held in London in January. The Jean Claude Rouget-trained colt is the highest-rated horse in Europe - he boasts a mark of and it is great that he has been kept in training. Rouget has already said Almanzor will run in the Prince of Wales s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Might he also examine his stamina by running him in the QIPCO-sponsored King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over a couple of furlongs further at the same track the following month? Minding carried all before her last season and achieved four wins in the Champions Series and her versatility - she won at the highest level between eight and 12 furlongs in means her trainer, Aidan O Brien, will have a range of options. Meanwhile, Postponed won the Investec Coronation Cup in supreme style last term before dropping back in distance and landing the Juddmonte International Stakes. He has suffered successive defeats in Dubai this year but Roger Varian, trainer of the six-year-old, is convinced he will bounce back to his best in the summer. He has pencilled him in for a defence of the Coronation Cup, with a tilt at the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes - which he won in likely to follow. Jack Hobbs only completed in one race last season because of injury but the 2015 Investec Derby runner-up, who went one better in the Irish equivalent, indicated he would be making up for lost time when landing the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan with great authority last Saturday. Highland Reel ran below-par in that contest but it would be folly to write off last year s all-the-way King George winner. Hawkbill, who won the Coral-Eclipse last year, My Dream Boat, who landed the Prince of Wales s Stakes, and Mutakayyef are other older horses who have been kept in training. Three fillies to keep in mind are Journey and Seventh Heaven, both Champions Series winners last year against their own sex, and So Mi Dar, who remains with plenty of untapped potential. THE MILE RACES SCHEDULE MAY 6: Qipco 2000 Guineas 500,000 at Newmarket MAY 20: Al Shaqab Lockinge 350,000 at Newbury JUNE 20: Queen Anne Stakes 600,000 at Royal Ascot JUNE 20: St James s Palace Stakes 400,000 at Royal Ascot AUGUST 2: Qatar Sussex Stakes 1,000,000 at Goodwood OCTOBER 7: Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot 250,000 at Newmarket OCTOBER 21: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 1,100,000 at Ascot MIDDLE DISTANCE RACES SCHEDULE JUNE 2: 1m4f Investec Coronation Cup 400,000 at Epsom JUNE 3: 1m4f Investec Derby at Epsom 1,500,000 at Epsom JUNE 21: 1m2f Prince of Wales s Stakes 750,000 at Royal Ascot JULY 8: 1m2f Coral-Eclipse Stakes 500,000 at Sandown JULY 29: 1m4f King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 1,150,000 at Ascot AUGUST 23: 1m2f Juddmonte International Stakes 1,000,000 at York OCTOBER 21: 1m2f QIPCO Champion Stakes 1,300,000 at Ascot 10 11

8 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE CLASS OF 2017 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE CLASS OF 2017 LONG DISTANCE: The top four stayers of Order Of St George, Sheikhzayedroad, Quest For More and Big Orange - will all be back in action this year. With such as Harbour Law, the St Leger winner, and the stamina-blessed Twilight Payment joining them - not to mention Dubai Duty Gold one-two Vazirabad and Beautiful Romance - it is a category that promises to pack quite a punch. When Order Of St George powered to victory in the Gold Cup last June, it seemed he had the potential to dominate the division. However, he only ran once more in the Series - when below-par QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot on Champions Day. The Aidan O Brien-trained colt can be forgiven that run because he had run a mighty race to finish third in the Prix de l Arc de Triomphe just 13 days before. He again appeals as the one to beat in the Gold Cup, despite a comeback defeat at the hands of the Jessica Harrington-trained Torcedor in the Coolmore Vintage Crop Stakes at Naas, and it will be a surprise if he is also not aimed at the Qatar Goodwood Cup given that it has been elevated to a Group 1 and is worth 500,000 this year. Big Orange, winner of the past two renewals of the Goodwood Cup, will not go short of admirers. Neither will Sheikhzayedroad and Quest For More, who dominated the finish of the Doncaster Cup and Long Distance Cup. Sheikhzayedroad came out on top each time but Quest For More had earlier taken the honours in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup at York. He also enjoyed Group 1 glory in France, landing the Prix du Cadran. Another to keep in mind for the staying division this year is Simple Verse. The 2015 St Leger winner was not seen to best advantage on Champions Day, when unleashed over 2m for the first time, but she remains unexposed over long distances. Also, remember Flying Officer in the second half of the season. He won the Long Distance Cup on QIPCO British Champions Day in 2015 and that is again likely to be on his schedule. FILLIES & MARES: If 2017 follows the same pattern as 2016, it will not be a case of whether Aidan O Brien-trained runners win a race in the Fillies & Mares category of the QIPCO British Champions Series but, rather, how many? Last year, O Brien runners dominated the division and, between them, won five of the seven races. The brilliant Minding won the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, Investec Oaks and Qatar Nassau Stakes, while Alice Springs landed the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes and Seventh Heaven scooped the Darley Yorkshire Oaks. Had Alice Springs got going a bit earlier in the Coronation Stakes (she was a staying-on third) and Seventh Heaven not fluffed her lines in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (she was sent off the 5-4 favourite) then O Brien might have been toasting The Magnificent Seven. The bad news for connections of rivals horses is that Minding, Alice Springs and Seventh Heaven remain in training. Aidan O Brien-trained Rhododendron is ante-post favourite for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas and Investec Oaks. And if she does not come up to scratch, the master of Ballydoyle also has fillies such as Hydrangea, who has already visited the winner s enclosure this spring, and Roly Poly to call on. Not all the top fillies and mares are housed at Ballydoyle, though, and O Brien is unlikely to have things all his own way. Qemah, trained in France by Jean Claude-Rouget, was a fluent winner of the Coronation Stakes last year. Meanwhile, Journey, in the care of John Gosden, was a superb winner of the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, and the same trainer also has the services of So Mi Dar to call upon. Simple Verse, the 2015 St Leger winner, has also been kept in training, although she seems more likely to have her sights trained on races that make up the Long Distance category. LONG DISTANCE RACES SCHEDULE MAY 19: 1m6f Betway Yorkshire Cup 165,000 at York JUNE 22: 2m4f Gold Cup 400,000 at Royal Ascot AUGUST 3: 2m Qatar Goodwood Cup 500,000 at Goodwood AUGUST 25: 2m Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup 200,000 at York SEPTEMBER 15: 2m2f Doncaster Cup 100,000 at Doncaster SEPTEMBER 16: 1m6f St Leger Stakes 700,000 at Doncaster OCTOBER 21: 2m QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup 350,000 at Ascot FILLIES & MARES SCHEDULE MAY 7: 1m QIPCO 1000 Guineas 500,000 at Newmarket JUNE 2: 1m4f Investec Oaks 500,000 at Epsom JUNE 23: 1m Coronation Stakes 400,000 at Royal Ascot JULY 14: 1m Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes 200,000 at Newmarket AUGUST 3: 1m2f Qatar Nassau Stakes 600,000 at Goodwood AUGUST 24: 1m4f Darley Yorkshire Oaks 350,000 at York OCTOBER 21: 1m4f QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes 600,000 at Ascot 12 13

9 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE FLYING THE FRANKEL FLAG QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE FLYING THE FRANKEL FLAG FIVE WHO CAN KEEP THE FRANKEL FLAG FLYING The QIPCO British Champions Series did not so much start with a bang six years ago, but with an explosion as Frankel stormed to victory in the 2000 Guineas. About 15 lengths clear at halfway, going the speed of a July Cup sprinter, Frankel ran his rivals ragged. He went on to chalk up nine successive Group 1 wins in the Series, by an aggregate of more than 46 lengths, and was hailed by many as the greatest thoroughbred to walk the turf. Having begun stallion duties at Banstead Manor Stud in 2013, this season will be the first opportunity that his progeny have had to make their mark in the QIPCO British Champions Series.. It seems fanciful to think any of his sons or daughters will match his exploits but his juvenile performers more than held their own last year. ATTY PERSSE Dam: Dorcas Lane Trainer: Roger Charlton Form: 1 Atty Persse is named after the top jump jockey who then became champion trainer in 1930 before eventually retiring in his mid 80s. Let s hope the equine version can enjoy similar success and longevity! His first 1min 44sec on the racetrack offered great encouragement, with a fluent win in a mile maiden at Sandown. Afterwards, Godolphin saw enough in his ability and potential to purchase him. He is entered for the Betfred Dante Stakes and Investec Derby. Here are five who could keep the Frankel flag flying over the months ahead EMINENT Dam: You ll Be Mine Trainer: Martyn Meade Form: 11 Eminent features prominently in the ante-post betting for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and Investec Derby after his taking win in the bet365 Craven Stakes on his reappearance at Newmarket. A feature of that Group Three success was how strong Eminent was at the finish. He had been Frankel s 26th individual runner and became his thirteenth different winner when winning over a mile on his debut at Newmarket in late September. A tad slow away, the well-backed 6-1 chance (he opened at 12-1) soon made up the lost ground before making headway about halfway. He hit the front a furlong out out and stayed on stoutly to to win by the best part of three lengths. FAIR EVA Dam: African Rose Trainer: Roger Charlton Form: 1132 Fair Eva was as short as 3-1 for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas with several bookmakers last summer after she had followed up a striking debut win at Haydock with an impressive four-length win in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot. However, she did not fulfil lofty expectations on her next two starts when placed in the Lowther and Oh So Sharp Stakes and, as a consequence, is now freely available at double-figure odds to win at Newmarket on May 7 in the second race of the QIPCO British Champions Series. Most trainers would be delighted to have a filly placed in two Group 2 races but Roger Charlton was left disappointed. It remains far too early to be writing her off. CRACKSMAN Dam: Rhadegunda Trainer: John Gosden Form: 1-1 Cracksman made his debut at Newmarket four days after QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot last year and hinted he might be a star turn at the meeting himself one day with a taking display. Held up in mid division, he travelled kindly and ran on well when hitting the front inside the final furlong to score by just over a length. He built on that when getting up close home in the Investec Derby Trial at Epsom last week and, apparently, something of a slow learner, there should be plenty more to come. QUEEN KINDLY Dam: Lady Of The Desert Trainer: Richard Fahey Form: Queen Kindly was one of Frankel s most successful two-year-olds and is one to keep in mind for this year s top sprints. Out of a speedy dam, she was twice an easy winner at Catterick and showed she could mix it with the best when landing the Group 2 Lowther at York in August. Queen Kindly also lost little in defeat when a half-length third to Brave Anna in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and she was clearly not at her best when six lengths fourth to the same rival in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in October. She was a creditable fifth in the 7f Dubai Duty Free Stakes on her return at Newbury

10 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE PIGGOTT STILL MAKING HIS PRESENCE FELT QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE PIGGOTT STILL MAKING HIS PRESENCE FELT PIGGOTT STILL MAKING PRESENCE FELT 60 YEARS AFTER FIRST 2000 GUINEAS VICTORY Sixty years ago, Harold Macmillan succeeded Anthony Eden as Prime Minister, Norwich City Council became the first British local authority to install a computer and The Toddlers Truce - an arrangement whereby there were no TV weekday broadcasts between 6pm and 7pm to help parents put their children to bed - was abolished. And at Newmarket, 21-year-old Lester Piggott was gaining a landmark first victory in the 2000 Guineas aboard Crepello. The Noel Murless-trained chestnut was plagued with leg problems and was to race for a fifth and final time a few weeks later when following up in the Derby. Before 1957, though, he had never ridden the winner of the 2000 Guineas, Oaks, Gold Cup and King s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, along with the Falmouth Stakes and July Cup. By the end of it, all those famous prizes had been chalked off his to do list and all of which now make-up the 35 race QIPCO British Champions Series. Carozza, owned by The Queen, provided Piggott with the first of six victories in the Oaks. He made nearly all the running on the well-bred daughter of Dante, who helped Her Majesty be crowned champion owner that year and provided her with her first Classic winner. Zarathustra gave him the first of his 11 victories in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. The colt won three races over five furlongs as a two-year-old, so few envisaged him being so effective over extreme distances. Right Boy was the first of six King s Stand victors, while Sylphide gave him his initial success in the Falmouth Stakes - and six more were to follow. Piggott s haul of ten July Cup triumphs began with Vigo. He also won the 1958 and 1959 renewals on Right Boy for trainer Bill Dutton, plus the 1960 running on Tin Boy. Twelve months later, he had the decency to let someone else win it. One of the greatest jockeys to grace the sport - if not the greatest - Piggott rode his first winner at the age of 12 in 1948 and enjoyed his last in the autumn of 1994 before retiring the following year. Champion jockey 11 times, he rode almost 4,500 winners in Britain during a period when there is nothing like the amount of racing we have nowadays. Thirty of those victories were in British Classics - that is still six more than Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore have managed between them - and it is difficult to think of any significant race which eluded him. WATCH VIDEO:

11 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE TEN GREAT WINNERS QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE TEN GREAT WINNERS TEN GREAT WINNERS OF THE 2000 GUINEAS The 2017 QIPCO British Champions Series gets under way at Newmarket on Saturday with the first Classic of the season the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Churchill currently heads the market, but can he match the performance of some of these greats? 1947 TUDOR MINSTREL Trainer: Fred Darling Jockey: Gordon Richards Owner: Arthur Dewar The champion two-year-old of 1946 (unbeaten in four starts) won at Bath on his reappearance in 1947 before starting at 11-8 favourite for the Guineas and romping home by eight lengths, which remains a record margin. He would have won by a much bigger distance had Gordon Richards not eased him up in the closing stages. Tudor Minstrel started at 4-7 for the Derby on the strength of that runaway victory but did not stay, finishing fourth SIR IVOR Trainer: Vincent O Brien Jockey: Lester Piggott Owner: Raymond Guest The American-bred colt was sent off 11-8 favourite and won by a length and a half after having too much speed for Petingo, his principal rival, in the closing stages. Showed similar acceleration to win the Derby on his next start, after which Lester Piggott declared that he was the best I have ridden. Piggott, though, had other riches to come NIJINSKY Trainer: Vincent O Brien Jockey: Lester Piggott Owner: Charles Engelhard Unbeaten in five starts as a two-year-old, Nijinsky became the first horse in 35 years to win the Triple Crown. None have managed the feat since. His victory in the Guineas, at 4-7 against 13 rivals, was straightforward. He led two out travelling powerfully and was not extended to beat Yellow God by two and a half lengths BRIGADIER GERARD Trainer: Joe Mercer Jockey: Dick Hern Owner: Jean Hislop Outstanding colt who won 17 of his 18 races. Faced only five rivals at Newmarket but it was a sparkling renewal, with the three best two-year-olds of the previous season My Swallow, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard colliding head on. Mill Reef and My Swallow had won their prep races and started at 6-4 and 2-1, respectively, but Brigadier Gerard, making his reappearance and sent off at 11-2, surged past the pair of them to win by three lengths WOLLOW Trainer: Henry Cecil Jockey: Gianfranco Dettori Owner: Carlo d Alessio The runaway champion two-year-old of 1975 he was rated at least 5lb superior to all his peers won the Greenham on his return and then decisively beat 16 opponents in the Guineas after being sent off at evens. Started favourite for the Derby next time but did not last home, finishing fifth. Henry Cecil, the winning trainer, was to keep that in mind more than three decades later, when Frankel arrived at his yard EL GRAN SENOR Trainer: Vincent O Brien Jockey: Pat Eddery Owner: Robert Sangster Unbeaten in four starts as a juvenile and beat Sadlers Wells, his stablemate, on his return. He preserved his 100 percent record when beating the exalted trio of Chief Singer, Lear Fan and Rainbow Quest in his Guineas and then started odds-on for the Derby. However, he was outstayed by Secreto, before going one better in the Irish equivalent DANCING BRAVE Trainer: Guy Harwood Jockey: Greville Starkey Owner: Prince Khalid Abdullah His emphatic three-length defeat of Green Desert, after being sent off 15-8 favourite, helped establish him as one of the greatest thoroughbreds there has been. Unfortunate to lose his unbeaten record in the Derby on his next start before famously landing a vintage renewal of the Prix de l Arc de Triomphe in the autumn NASHWAN Trainer: Dick Hern Jockey: Willie Carson Owner: Hamdan Al Maktoum Operated under the radar as a two-year-old, winning both his starts (like Dancing Brave before him). He was a huge gamble for the Guineas, though, after word of sizzling gallops got out and he won by a length as 3-1 favourite. Went on to win the Derby, Eclipse and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes during a memorable summer SEA THE STARS Trainer: John Oxx Jockey: Mick Kinane Owner: Christopher Tsui Not an obvious candidate for Guineas glory he was beaten in his only race as a two-year-old and had an interrupted preparation but he moved easily throughout and eased a length clear of Delegator, the favourite, in the closing stages. Went from strength to strength afterwards, winning the Derby, Eclipse, International Stakes. Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l Arc de Triomphe FRANKEL 2009 SEA THE STARS 1986 DANCING BRAVE Trainer: Henry Cecil Jockey: Tom Queally Owner: Prince Khalid Abdullah Regarded by many as the greatest thoroughbred to have graced the turf, Frankel was a remarkable six-length winner making all and burning off the opposition a long way from home. The 1-2 favourite had been 15 lengths clear at halfway, setting fractions usually reserved for protagonists in the July Cup. His story was to have many more unforgettable chapters and, by the time he was retired, he had won all 14 of his races nine of them at Group One level BRIGADIER GERARD 18 19

12 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE TEAM GB STARS QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE TEAM GB STARS TEAM GB STARS UNVEILED AS CHAMPIONS SERIES AMBASSADORS ADAM GEMILI KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON WATCH VIDEO: Two of Britain s biggest athletics stars, Adam Gemili and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, have become the latest ambassadors for this season s QIPCO British Champions Series. The superstars of the track will be working closely with their turf counterparts this season and as well as cheering on the likes of Galileo Gold, Churchill and Almanzor, they will also be discovering how the training methods and recovery periods for racehorses compare to their own experiences. Both are currently in training for the World Championships in London this summer, where Gemili will be looking to add to his the 200m European Champion title he bagged in 2014, whilst Johnson-Thompson will be one of the favourites to land a medal in the heptathlon. Throughout the Series, the two will help to display the similarities and complexities between the training regimes of elite human and equine athletes. Gemili said: I am really looking forward to working with QIPCO British Champions Series and was lucky enough to attend British Champions Day in I studied sports science at university and have always been fascinated by what, as an athlete, is physically possible so it was interesting to find out how fast a thoroughbred can run and how long for, and the similarities between my training regime and that of a racehorse. I was lucky enough to visit Longholes Pre-training and Rehabilitation centre, and see the incredible facilities used to ensure the horses are at peak fitness and lots of the work there is not dissimilar to what me and my coaches will do as I prepare for the World Championships in August. Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who trains in Montpellier, France and recently visited Galileo Gold added: Meeting half a tonne of pure horsepower in Galileo Gold and speaking to his trainer Hugo Palmer about how to prepare horses for Champions Series races was really interesting. Galileo Gold is an amazing horse who I will certainly be following when he returns in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May. I love animals and have always loved horses but now I ve got a better understanding of how they prepare for competition. Seeing how they apply some of the same training methods as an athlete is fascinating and I m really looking forward to seeing how the season turns out from now until the final race at QIPCO British Champions Day in October

13 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE CAN CROWLEY RETAIN THE TITLE? QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE TOP FIVE CONTENDERS THE TOP FIVE CONTENDERS SILVESTRE DE SOUSA Age: 36. Weight: 8st 1lb. Wins: 132. Rides last year: 759. Stobart Championship position: 2. Best available odds: 7-4. Career highlights: The youngest of ten children in his family, the Brazilian has ridden more than 1,100 winners in Britain since moving here a decade ago and was a runaway winner of the championship in 2015 He gave everything in his title defence and almost enjoyed tasting Classic glory in the St Leger when second aboard Ventura Storm. CROWLEY HAS FIGHT ON HIS HANDS TO RETAIN TITLE PAUL HANAGAN Age: 36. Weight: 8st 2lb. Wins: 60. Rides: 434. Stobart Championship position: 18. Best available odds: 9-4. Career highlights: The two-time champion ( ) enjoyed great success as retained rider for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum but lost that position in November. Richard Fahey will provide him with plenty of winners and, like De Sousa, he is able to ride light. Will be hungry to claim a third championship. The battle for the Stobart Jockeys Championship will begin on at Newmarket on Saturday and end on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on October 21. A feature of the past two title races is that freelances have claimed the crown, and the bookmakers believe that will again be the case with Silvestra de Sousa and Paul Hanagan dominating the betting. Free of retainers or being tied to one stable, De Sousa It is one of the most high-profile jobs in racing and will triumphed in 2015 and last year he made a bold bid to guarantee rides in many big races - he has already reaped retain his crown - only for Jim Crowley, another with a the benefit in Dubai this year - but his new role will busy agent, to prove stronger. undoubtedly impact on his chances of riding winners in bulk. Dismissed as a 33-1 chance at the start of the year, the 38-year-old ruled with 148 winners, 16 more than De The prospect of him again having 759 rides are slim, to Sousa. A distant third was Andrea Atzeni, who finished zero, and that will mean fewer opportunities. To give a with 88. sense of perspective, Paul Hanagan, who was Sheikh Hamdan s retained jockey last year, had 434 rides. Crowley and De Sousa were locked together at one time in the summer and the pendulum briefly swung one way De Sousa will fancy his chances of turning the tables but and the other, but the game changed in September when will he be able to fend off Hanagan? the former broke down long-established barriers and Champion in 2010 and 2011, Hanagan will be a tough nut rode a record-breaking 46 winners. to crack now that he is once more free to ride where and That was the decisive turning point and meant the last when he wants. His old ally, Richard Fahey, will no doubt couple of weeks of the campaign were little more than an provide him with a steady stream of successes and that extended lap of honour for him. will give him a solid foundation to work from. Can Crowley secure back-to-back championships? The bookmakers think it will be beyond him after his appointment, in November, as new first-choice rider to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. JIM CROWLEY Age 38. Weight: 8st 8lb. Wins 148. Rides 759. Stobart Championship position: 1. Best available odds: 8-1. Career highlights: The former jump jockey switched to the Flat a decade ago and has never looked back. The West Sussex-based rider was relentless in his pursuit of the title in the second half of last season and ended up winning the title with something to spare. ANDREA ATZENI Age: 26. Weight: 8st 1lb. Wins: 88. Rides: 477. Stobart Championship position: 3. Best available odds: Career highlights: Firmly established as among the best jockeys in the weighing room but commitments to Roger Varian and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid limit some of his opportunities. Last season such as Postponed (Investec Coronation Cup and Juddmonte International) and Belardo (Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes) kept him riding high. RYAN MOORE Age: 33. Weight: 8st 7lb. Wins: 76. Rides: 330. Stobart Championship position: 9. Best available odds: Career highlights: The three-time champion, retained by the powerful Coolmore operation, enjoyed a sensational time in 2016, riding the winners of ten QIPCO British Champions Series races. However, he is more about quality than quantity and the title will again not be top of his priorities

14 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE THE STOBART JOCKEYS CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 FINAL STANDINGS QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE LEADING APPRENTICE CONTENDERS THE STOBART FLAT JOCKEYS CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 FINAL STANDINGS RANKING JOCKEY WINS RIDES STRIKE RATE 1 Jim Crowley % 2 Silvestre De Sousa % 3 Andrea Atzeni % 4 James Doyle % 5 Luke Morris % 6 Oisin Murphy % 7 Pat Cosgrave % 8 Adam Kirby % 9 Ryan Moore % 10 Paul Mulrennan % 11 Frankie Dettori % 12 Joe Fanning % 13 Richard Kingscote % 14 Jamie Spencer % 15 William Buick % 16 George Baker % 17 P. J. McDonald % 18 Daniel Tudhope % 19 Paul Hanagan % 20 Franny Norton % 21 David Allan % 22 Tony Hamilton % 23 Harry Bentley % 24 Graham Gibbons % 25 Josephine Gordon % THE STOBART FLAT JOCKEYS CHAMPIONSHIP WILL START ON SATURDAY AND COVERS WINS FROM QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS DAY TO QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY AT ASCOT ON SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE MONEY CHAMPION JOCKEY: 25,000 RUNNER-UP: 10,000 CHAMPION APPRENTICE: 5,000 LEADING JOCKEY (MOST WINS THROUGHOUT THE FULL CALENDAR YEAR): 15,000 ALL-WEATHER CHAMPIONSHIP: 10,000 PJA WELFARE SCHEME FOR ALL MEMBERS: 25,000 YOUNG PRETENDERS HOPING TO GET TEENAGE KICKS The leading contenders for the Stobart Jockeys Championship are well-known to racing fans but a couple of challengers for this year s apprentices title will not be such familiar names CONTENDERS Rossa Ryan, 16, had a trial at the powerful yard of Richard Hannon in January and the pony racing champion from Galway, made such a good impression that he is now attached to the yard. Connor Murtagh, just a year older, is an inspiration to all, having had three major heart operations, the first of which when he was only days old. His last piece of open-heart surgery was in September. By January, the son of trainer and former jockey Barry was riding his first winner. Attached to the yard of Richard Fahey, he should get plenty of opportunities and Paul Hanagan, himself champion apprentice in 2002, will be around to offer advice. Adam McNamara is also under Fahey s wing and is 2-1 favourite with Ladbrokes to become champion. He finished third in the table last year with 39 winners - 11 behind Josephine Gordon, the winner. All bar six of McNamara s winners were for Fahey FINAL STANDINGS Nathan Evans (fourth) and George Wood (fifth) will also be back for more, although the former, like Edward Greatrex, is in sight of losing his claim. One other relatively new name to look out for is Lewis Edmunds, from Doncaster, who is attached to the stable of Kevin Ryan. The son of former jockey Jason Edmunds, Lewis is from a racing background and spent his school holidays riding out at Hambleton Lodge. His record when riding horses aged four years or older on the all-weather (21 winners from 78 rides) is, in particular, tremendous. Backing him blind in such races, to a 10 level stake, would have yielded a profit of more than 700. If he can replicate anything like that on turf over the months ahead, the others had better watch out. Last year s winner Josephine Gordon stacked up 50 wins in the title race which went to the wire between her and Tom Marquand. JOCKEY WINS RIDES STRIKE RATE LEVEL STAKE WIN PRIZE TOTAL PRIZE Josephine Gordon % , ,109 Tom Marquand % , ,959 Adam McNamara % , ,096 Nathan Evans % , ,338 George Wood % , ,120 Kevin Stott % , ,005 Ed Greatrex % , ,999 Joe Doyle % , ,862 Rob Hornby % , ,484 Hector Crouch % , ,

15 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE CHAMPION OWNER TITLE QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE BACKGROUND & STRUCTURE TEN OUT TEN FOR GODOLPHIN IN CHAMPION OWNERS BATTLE Unlike the respective jockeys championships, the owners version is decided by prize money won rather than number of winners accumulated between the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and QIPCO British Champions Day on Saturday 21st October, It would not have mattered if either criteria were used last year because Godolphin chalked up more winners and prize money than any of their rivals. Sheikh Mohammed s operation finished with 119 winners, including Hawkbill in the Coral-Eclipse, and a prize-money haul of 4,213,524. It enabled the boys in blue to emerge on top for the tenth time since 1996, although the race went to the final day of the season. In his own name, Sheikh Mohammed took the honours nine times, so it is a prize he is accustomed to winning. QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY Now in its seventh year, QIPCO British Champions Day is the Flat season finale and climax to QIPCO British Champions Series. Some of the world s leading thoroughbred racehorses, the most talented jockeys and trainers, internationally renowned racecourses and the highestrated races on earth including two of the top 10 races run anywhere in the world in 2016 come together to create a unique offering for existing and new fans of racing. Staged for the first time in 2011 QIPCO British Champions Day is the richest raceday in the British Racing Calendar with a record breaking 4.4 million in prize money on offer, across the five championship categories. QIPCO British Champion Stakes Prize Money 1.3 million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Prize Money 1.1 million QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes Prize Money 600,000 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes Prize Money 600,000 The QIPCO Long Distance Cup, though a Group 2 is effectively run with Group 1 conditions, and this year the prize money for this contest has been increased to 450,000 SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY BRITAIN S RICHEST RACEDAY SAVE UP TO 25 ON QUEEN ANNE TICKETS ENDS MIDNIGHT THURSDAY 11 MAY britishchampionsday.com 26 27

16 QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE TITLE PARTNER QIPCO HOLDING QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES MEDIA GUIDE CONTACTS TITLE PARTNER QIPCO HOLDING The series is sponsored by QIPCO Holding, one of the leading private investment companies in Qatar. Established in 1999, QIPCO has since developed and diversified its range of interests which currently include real estate, construction, oil and gas, finance and health services as well as thoroughbred horseracing. The global racing and bloodstock operations, Qatar Racing and Qatar bloodstock, are both subsidiaries of QIPCO. Qatar bloodstock was established in 2010, following the purchase of the World champion miler Makfi, and the operation currently stands stallions in Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand. Qatar investment & Projects development holding company (QiPco holding) is owned by six brothers won are members of the Qatari Royal family. the chief executive is Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al Thani who together with his brothers are cousins of the emir of the state of Qatar. Since the company s inception, the group has diversified to form individual subsidiaries each operating independently and specializing in various fields of expertise. for more information please visit In 2011 QIPCO became the inaugural sponsors of British Champions Series and in June 2015 a landmark, multi-million pound deal secured QIPCO s on-going support for the series and British racing for a further ten years until As the title Partner, QIPCO enjoys exclusive naming rights for the series and full partnerships rights for the 4.3 million QIPCO British Champions Day climax at Ascot, which is set to have increased to 5 million when the new contract expires in QIPCO is also the official partner of the Guineas Festival at Newmarket s Rowley Mile Racecourse which launches the British Champions Series with the QIPCO 2000 and 1000 Guineas and is title partner to the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes hosted at Ascot in July. Under the deal signed in 2015, QIPCO is an official commercial partner with Ascot Racecourse, including Royal ascot CONTACT DETAILS NAOMI LAWSON Head of PR, British Champions Series / Great British Racing: nlawson@greatbritishracing.com tel: JOHN MAXSE All matters regarding QIPCO Holding jmaxse@mac.com tel:

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