Arena Racing Company and British EBF to increase investment

An increase in investment and prize money is set to be felt, following the establishment of a new partnership between the Arena Racing Company (ARC) and the British arm of the European Breeders Fund (EBF).

One such benefit is the creation of new races for two-year-olds at both the Newcastle and Great Yarmouth racecourses, with the latter, a £15,000 Class 3 contest over six furlongs, set to be hosted on Wednesday 23 May.

Newmarket trainer John Gosden OBE stated: “This will provide a useful opportunity for the two-year olds to gain race experience before Royal Ascot. After all the remedial work, the turf at Great Yarmouth is some of the best in the country and it is an ideal track for a young horse.”

A number of other investments in the race programme have also been announced, including:

• The introduction of a British EBF supported sire-dam restricted £10,000 Class 4 race for two-year olds at Newcastle on 30 November 2018
• The prize fund for the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF John Musker Stakes, run on the middle day of Great Yarmouth’s Eastern Festival in September, increasing to £50,000 through mutual match funding
• British EBF support for the August Stakes at Royal Windsor; an 11 furlong Listed contest for horses aged three-years and over; the total prize money for this race has been increased to £40,000 in 2018 as a result of EBF investment
• British EBF investment in a two-year old future stayers’ race on the third day of the William Hill St Leger Festival at Doncaster. This will be run as a Class 3 maiden over a mile with a Total Prize Fund of £15,000 in its first year
• Continued support from the British EBF for fillies and mares’ races through the winter months as part of the All-Weather Championships.

Martin Cruddace, ARC Chief Executive, said: “The British EBF plays an incredibly valuable role in British Racing. By formalising our partnership, we are recognising this and providing the basis on which ARC and the British EBF can develop over investment in the race programme which is of significant long-term benefit to the sport. We look forward to see how the new races perform and hope they will be well supported by the racing community.”

In addition, the partnership is set to see all ARC racecourse websites carry the British EBF logo, and both organisations are set to work together to promote British EBF supported races run on ARC racecourses.