British Champions Series

The British Champions Series is a series of 35 top British flat races, which culminates in a day-long festival of championship races, known as British Champions Day. It was inaugurated in the 2011 season to draw together some of Britain's key flat races into a meaningful championship, with the hope of generating coverage and stimulating interest among the more casual sports fan.^[1] It was believed to have achieved its aims based on an increase of 7% attendance at the race days that were part of the 2011 series, as opposed to a 3.9% increase in attendances across the season's race programme as a whole.^[2]

The championships have been sponsored by the Qatari investment group QIPCO since its inception in 2011. In June 2015 QIPCO renewed their sponsorship until at least 2024 in a deal worth more than £50m, the biggest sponsorship deal ever for British horse racing.^[3]

The series is split into five divisions - Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares. This series includes all Group One races in Great Britain, except those limited to two year old horses.

Races

Sprint

Race	Date	Distance	Course
King Charles III Stakes	Mid June	5 furlongs	Ascot
Commonwealth Cup	Mid June	6 furlongs	Ascot
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes	Mid June	6 furlongs	Ascot
July Cup	Mid July	6 furlongs	Newmarket
Nunthorpe Stakes	Late August	5 furlongs	York
Haydock Sprint Cup	Early September	6 furlongs	Haydock
British Champions Sprint Stakes	Mid October	6 furlongs	Ascot

Mile

Race	Date	Distance	Course
2,000 Guineas	Early May	1 mile	Newmarket
Lockinge Stakes	Mid May	1 mile	Newbury
Queen Anne Stakes	Mid June	1 mile	Ascot
St. James's Palace Stakes	Mid June	1 mile	Ascot
Sussex Stakes	Late July	1 mile	Goodwood
Sun Chariot Stakes	Early October	1 mile	Newmarket
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes	Mid October	1 mile	Ascot

Middle Distance

Race	Date	Distance	Course
Coronation Cup	Early June	1 mile 4 furlongs	Epsom
Epsom Derby	Early June	1 mile 4 furlongs	Epsom
Prince of Wales's Stakes	Mid June	1 mile 2 furlongs	Ascot
Eclipse Stakes	Early July	1 mile 2 furlongs	Sandown
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes	Late July	1 mile 4 furlongs	Ascot
Juddmonte International Stakes	Mid August	1 mile 2 furlongs	York
Champion Stakes	Mid October	1 mile 2 furlongs	Ascot

Long Distance

Race	Date	Distance	Course
Yorkshire Cup	Mid May	1 mile 6 furlongs	York
Ascot Gold Cup	Mid June	2 miles 4 furlongs	Ascot
Goodwood Cup	Early August	2 miles	Goodwood
Lonsdale Cup	Late August	2 miles 1/2 furlong	York
Doncaster Cup	Mid September	2 miles 2 furlongs	Doncaster
St. Leger Stakes	Mid September	1 mile 6 furlongs	Doncaster
British Champions Long Distance Cup	Mid October	2 miles	Ascot

Fillies & Mares

Race	Date	Distance	Course
1,000 Guineas	Early May	1 mile	Newmarket
Epsom Oaks	Early June	1 mile 4 furlongs	Epsom
Coronation Stakes	Mid June	1 mile	Ascot
Falmouth Stakes	Mid July	1 mile	Newmarket
Nassau Stakes	Early August	1 mile 2 furlongs	Goodwood
Yorkshire Oaks	Mid/Late August	1 mile 4 furlongs	York
British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes	Mid October	1 mile 4 furlongs	Ascot

See also

• List of British flat horse races

References

1. "British Champions' Series launched to broaden appeal". BBC Sport. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
2. "British Champions' Series organisers buoyed by new figures". Sport Business. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
3. "British Champions Series secures record sponsorship deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 June 2015.

External links

• British Champions Series Official Site