The Jockey Club, Ascot Partner with Churchill Downs for Trans-Atlantic Initiative

A pair of runners competing during Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, will be offered wild card entries for Epsom's 3-year-old Classics contested four weeks later.

The winner of Churchill's $500,000 GII Edgewood S., contested on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 3, will receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the G1 Betfred Oaks at Epsom May 31.

In the colt's division, a runner from the $500,000 GII American Turf S., scheduled for Kentucky Derby Day May 4, will receive an entry and travel incentive to the June 1 Betfred Derby.

The Jockey Club and Ascot Racecourse have also coordinated with Churchill to offer wild card entries to a pair of Royal Ascot fixtures. A runner from the $500,000 GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S., also run on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in the G1 King Charles III S. (formerly the King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 18. Additionally, a runner from the $1-million GI Old Forester Turf Classic S., contested on Kentucky Derby Day, will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in either the G1 Queen Anne S. June 18 or the G1 Prince of Wales's S., held June 19, both staged during the Royal meeting.

In return for the above incentives for U.S.-based runners, a runner from both the Queen Anne and the Prince of Wales's will receive an entry and a travel incentive to run in Colonial Downs' $1-million GI Arlington Million S. over 10 furlongs in mid-August.

Also, a runner from the G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket's July Festival July 12 will also receive an entry and travel incentive to run in the $500,000 GI Beverly D S. on the same day as the Colonial Downs Arlington Million.

Winners of the aforementioned races will receive the invite to run in the corresponding races across the Atlantic. However, in the event that the winners aren't able to accept, racecourses may then also invite placed horses. The elimination procedures in these races will remain as they are now.

“A trip to Churchill Downs is one that should be on the bucket list for every racing fan, the world over,” said Matt Woolston, Assistant Racing and International Racing Director at The Jockey Club. “The Kentucky Derby itself can trace its origin back to Epsom Downs in 1780 when Diomed won the very first Derby and we are proud to reinforce this historic link.

“These historic races already have an international reputation and we want to welcome more and more international runners in the years to come.”

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George Main Renamed in Honor of King Charles III, The Everest Gets Purse Boost

Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club (ATC) announced on Sunday that the G1 George Main S. will be replaced by the G1 King Charles III S. at Royal Randwick starting this year. The King Charles III S. is named in honour of His Majesty The King and will be run over 1600 metres under weight-for-age conditions and carry a prize purse of A$5 million, making it the world's richest weight-for-age mile event. Last year's George Main S., won by Anamoe (Aus) (Street Boss), was worth A$1 million in 2022.

The King Charles will run on Oct. 14 along with the world's second-richest Thoroughbred race, the A$20 million The Everest (which rises from A$15 million). The entire card offers prizemoney of nearly A$35 million and includes the A$2 million The Kosciuszko, the A$1 million Silver Eagle, the A$500,000 St Leger S. and the A$250,000 G3 Angst S. Previously, the George Main S. was held two weeks prior to the G1 Epsom H.

“The King Charles III Stakes creates a new level of excitement for the Sydney Everest Carnival, with a feature open-age mile race boosting an already mouth-watering Everest Day meeting,” Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding said. “It is also befitting of Royal Randwick to have a feature race in spring named in honour of His Majesty, to complement the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in autumn, with Royal Randwick being Australia's only Royal Racecourse.

“At $20 million of prizemoney, The TAB Everest is now the second-richest race in the world and the richest race on turf. This further increase in prizemoney is not only recognition of The TAB Everest as being the highest-rated race in Australia, but also of the success this event has created in flow-on benefits throughout the entire NSW Thoroughbred industry for the whole of the year.”

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