Edited Press Release
For the first time in the 40-year history of the organisation, the British European Breeders' Fund will increase its contribution to prize money to £2 million.
“Britain continues to be recognised for the quality of its stallion market: we stand promising young sires and established producers of Champions,” said British EBF Chairman Simon Sweeting. “The support of all our stallion owners to the British
EBF means we can support well over 700 flat races in 2023 with £1.9million, our biggest commitment to date. With our National Hunt programmes considered too, the British EBF contribution is over £2 million, directly to racing's prize money. It is a genuine enhancement of the value of the race programme, with a particular focus on developmental races and projects that protect the diversity of the race programme and, ultimately, the Thoroughbred.”
Areas of the programme that will benefit from the extra support include juvenile developmental races, sire/dam-restricted 2-year-old races and a small series of novice and maidens for 3-year-olds.
“Some of our established high-value Novice and Maiden races at premier fixtures will benefit from extra funding. Our successful sire/dam-restricted races will receive a boost as an important cross-industry initiative to encourage the production of quality stayers in Britain. We are also supporting the BHA in special projects to strengthen developmental opportunities in the older horse programme.
“This is in addition to our long-standing commitments to our high-value fillies' and mares' handicaps, designed to retain mares in GB and give them productive targets throughout the season, and of course, our flagship British EBF £100,000 2yo Series finals founded last year.”
The British EBF 2yo Series covers over 140 qualifying races and is capped by a finale for fillies at Goodwood and one for colts and geldings at York, each worth £100,000. It aims to support the commercial end of the sales and stallion market by utilising Restricted Novice and Maiden races as qualifiers. A number of these, now supported by long standing EBF contributor Juddmonte, are to be run at £30,000, making them valuable qualifying targets on the way to the finals.
In 2022, David Mensuisier's €13,000 purchase Munch (GB) (New Bay {GB}) claimed the fillies' final at Goodwood. The race went on to produce subsequent Listed Winterkonigin Trial winner Sirona (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). The colts' final was won by the unbeaten Eve Johnson Houghton trained Streets of Gold (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}), a £27,000 Tattersalls Ireland purchase whose spring target is the G1 2000 Guineas. The race also produced Legend of Xanadu (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) who went on to with the Listed Doncaster S. at the end of last season.
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