New Series Could Draw Major Sponsors

A blueprint has been unveiled for Championship Horse Racing, a multi-million pound team horse racing series that could be staged as early as 2019 and could generate support for racing from leading global brands. The news was first reported by Racing Post.

The Championship Horse Racing series would include 12 branded teams, expected to be supported by some of the world's biggest brands. Each team would have 30 horses, not necessarily with one trainer, and four jockeys, which would race in the teams' silks rather than the owners'. The series would take place over eight consecutive Thursdays, each one at a different racecourse. Each card would include six handicaps (48 races in total) with prizemoney in excess of £100,000. The competition will operate on a points system similar to F1 to determine the winning team and the champion jockey. Each of the 12 teams would have one runner per race. The concept is still very much in its infancy, with Ladbrokes quoting 9-2 the series will take place next year, and 1-8 it will not.

Jeremy Wray, chief executive of Championship Horse Racing, said, “This is a fantastic chance for racing to lead the way in changing how people watch sport, both live and in terms of bite-size, interactive content. The viewers will become fans and engage with brands like never before, on a global scale. Furthermore, everyone in racing benefits, be they stable staff, owners or jockeys.”

The Jockey Club spoke out in support of the concept, Group Chief Executive Simon Bazalgette saying, “The Jockey Club is all about the long-term health of British racing, so the series is something that makes complete sense for us to support. Jeremy and his team are bringing a really far-thinking approach to the offer they're taking to market for brands to get involved. I hope that will result in a fantastic new competition launching next year that can excite existing and new fans alike and welcome some great new partners for our sport.”

Leading trainer John Gosden said, “the series is the most creative and positive racing sponsorship opportunity I have seen and I hope it will become a tremendous success.”

Richard FitzGerald, chief executive of Racecourse Media Group, added, “the series promises to be a compelling spectacle for viewers and has the potential to take racing to a whole new audience.”