Eight valuable handicaps for fillies and mares, run between seven and nine furlongs, are being introduced during the third season of the All-Weather Championships, which starts next week on Thursday, October 29, 2015 and concludes with the £1.1 million Finals Day at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, March 25, 2016.
The Class Two and Three handicaps, worth up to £27,000 each, take place between January and March next year at Lingfield Park, Kempton Park and Wolverhampton Racecourses. The European Breeders Fund (EBF) is backing the new races, which provide extra opportunities for fillies and mares through the winter months with the best horses set to compete on Good Friday in the 32Red Fillies and Mares Final worth £150,000. This extension of its support means the EBF is contributing a total of £109,000 towards prize money during the third season of the All-Weather Championships. The significant figure is spread across 44 races with EBF conditions at the five All-Weather racecourses in Great Britain - Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Southwell, run by the Arena Racing Company (ARC), the Jockey Club's Kempton Park and Chelmsford City, during the All-Weather Championships. The races range from two-year-old maidens to Listed events. Philip Freedman, the British EBF Chairman, said: "The British EBF is very pleased to be increasing support for the All-Weather Championships this season by providing funding to assist the programming of a new series of worthwhile opportunities for fillies and mares. "These races have been designed as specific stepping stones leading towards participation in the 32Red.com Fillies' and Mares' Final worth £150,000 on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, March 25, 2016." Martin Cruddace, the ARC Chief Executive, welcomed the EBF's involvement: "ARC established the All-Weather Championships to raise the profile and prestige of All-Weather racing. "We are extremely grateful to the trustees of the British EBF and stallion owners of British-based sires for extending their existing prize money contribution to include extra races on the All-Weather." Kerry Murphy, the EBF Chief Executive, added: "The British EBF's support of the All-Weather Championships reinforces our commitment to encouraging quality racing across Europe throughout the year."
