Newmarket’s Dubai Future Champions Day fixture has received a cash injection for this season, raising the total prize-money to more than £1 million, making the event more desirable to trainers, owners, fans, and punters alike.
The fixture, staged on October 17 contains three Group 1 races open to two-year olds: the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, Vision.ae Middle Park Stakes, and the Dubai Fillies’ Mile. The fixture also happens to be taking place the day before the popular Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot, which could explain the cash injection to pull in attraction.
Prize-money for the Dewhurst Stakes has been raised to £400,000 (from £350,000). Dewhurst is Britain’s most prestigious race for juvenile horses. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs. The leading runners tend to become major contenders in the following season’s Classics. The most recent winner of the Dewhurst Stakes to achieve a Classic victory is Dawn Approach. He won the 2,000 Guineas in 2013.
Among the 97 entries received for this year were the Richard Hannon-trained trio, consisting of Estidhkaar, Kool Kompany, and Ivawood. Aidan O’Brien is responsible for a huge 23 of the entries, including Highland Reel and Gleneagles.
Many of the 97 colts are also entered in the 6f Middle Park Stakes, which now has total prize-money worth £200,000 (up from £170,000). Middle Park is a shorter distance race than Dewhurst, run on Rowley Mile over a distance of 6 furlongs.
The Middle Park Stakes was added to the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series in 2012. The winner now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. The leading horses from the Middle Park Stakes can also go on to compete in the following season’s 2,000 Guineas. The first to win both was Prince Charlie (1871–72), and the most recent was Rodrigo de Triano (1991–92) who recently passed away.
The same cash boost, £200,000 up from £170,000, has been applied to the Fillies’ Mile, which recently switched from Ascot, with Royal Ascot winners Anthem Alexander and Cursory Glance among the 73 entries. Like the Middle Park Stakes, the Fillies’ Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series and the winner gets an automatic invitation to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Also on the cards for the first time at the Newmarket fixture is the Group 3 Dubai Cornwallis Stakes, which has also moved from Ascot.
With so much Group 1 action taking place on the same day, October 17 is sure to be a big day for racing fans and punters alike. Get your bets in when the time comes at Titan Bet (Free £35) – the best racing bookmaker on the web.
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