British EBF Maintains Record Investment in 2018

The British European Breeders' Fund maintained its record investment at £1.6 million in 2018, the EBF announced on Thursday. Over 660 Flat and 85 National Hunt races were covered in 2018, as the British EBF supported several projects under both codes like the mares' only novice chase, hurdle, and NH Flat race programmes and a series of high-value fillies' handicaps and races for staying-bred juveniles on the flat.

“First and foremost, the trustees of the British EBF are again grateful to the British Stallion owners that have voluntarily contributed to the EBF fund,” said British EBF Chariman Philip Mitchell. “To that end we have started to make some small changes to the fillies' handicap programme and have worked with the industry's Racing Group and the BHA to re-establish our coverage of 2-year-old races with EBF conditions. The juvenile programme is the EBF's bread and butter and we are working to ensure that the stability of the fund is ensured for future generations by re-focusing a larger proportion of the fund back in to 2-year-old races.”

The British EBF 2018 review also detailed new official group partnerships with both The Jockey Club and ARC, as well as how the British EBF is now supporting Racing to School among other initiatives.

“Establishing partnerships and associations within in the industry helps us promote to racecourses, owners and trainers the importance of the EBF as a much-needed prize money funding mechanism,” said British EBF Marketing and Communications Manager Rachael Gowland. “Many stallion studs sponsor races in their own right as well as indirectly through the EBF, it is important that the people benefitting from that support are aware of the mechanism and those providing the investment understand and are confident in how we are using it.”

Added British EBF General Manager Cheryl Caves, “Early indications show that the strength of the stallion market in Great Britain may allow us to make a small increase to our investment for the 2019 Flat season and to our National Hunt expenditure for the 2019/ 2020 season.”