19 February 2015

Newmarket rejigs autumn racing programme

Newmarket racecourse has tried to sort out the muddle of the autumn Flat racing programme by announcing a new Dubai Future Champions Festival to be held on Friday 9 October and Saturday 10 October 2015.

Prize money for the festival has been boosted to more than GB£ 2 million and will include GB£ 500,000 each for the Group 1 Dubai Fillies' Mile and Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes and GB£ 250,000 for the Betfred Cesarewitch Handicap.

In a further alteration, the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes has been moved to an earlier date and will be part of the Cambridgeshire meeting on 26 September 2015. This creates a break of two weeks between the Middle Park Stakes and the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, rather than being run on the same day.

Perhaps because there are a few races for fillies on the first day, the marketing department has decided that "the Friday will be promoted as Newmarket Racecourses’ Autumn Ladies Day, while the Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel in Newmarket will become the Official Fashion Partner for the two-day festival."

Friday 9th October 2015

1.      5f 2y Group 3 Dubai Cornwallis Stakes £80,000

2.      7f 2y Group 3 Dubai Oh So Sharp Stakes £80,000

3.      7f 3y+ Group 2 Dubai Challenge Stakes £150,000

4.      8f 2y Group 1 Dubai Fillies' Mile Stakes £500,000

5.      12f 3y Dubai Old Rowley Cup (Heritage Handicap) £140,000

6.      7f 2y Dubai Fillies Maiden Stakes £25,000

7.      10f 3y+ Listed Dubai Pride Stakes £50,000

Friday total prize money: £1,025,000




Saturday 10th October 2015

1.      7f 2y EBF Fillies Nursery Handicap £60,000

2.      8f 2y Group 3 Dubai Autumn Stakes £80,000

3.      7f 2y Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes £500,000

4.      18f 3y+ Betfred Cesarewitch Heritage Handicap £250,000

5.      10f 2y Listed Dubai Zetland Stakes £50,000

6.      6f 3y+ Listed Dubai Boadicea Stakes £50,000

7.      9f 3y+ Group 3 Darley Stakes £80,000

8.      The Bearstead Perpetual Challenge Trophy (The Varsity Race)


Saturday total prize money: £1,070,000