BBC TO BROADCAST NEW UNTIL 2012 New climax to the premier Flat racing season will be aired live on BBC1

Embargoed until 00.01 GMT on Saturday 11 December 2010 – today announced a two year agreement with the BBC for it to become the host broadcaster of British Champions Day – the new climax of British horseracing’s premier Flat season.

The major new event will be run for the first time next year at Ascot on Saturday 15 October, with five British Champions Series finale races broadcast live on BBC1.

Each race broadcast by the BBC will represent the climax of a British Champions Series category, namely Middle Distance (), Mile (QEII Stakes), Sprint (Diadem Cup), Long Distance (Jockey Club Cup) and Fillies and Mares (Pride Stakes).

Staged at 10 leading UK racecourses, the British Champions Series will feature 35 premier Flat races – including those run as part of Royal Ascot and the Investec Derby Festival – run in five categories. Channel 4 will broadcast 19 British Champions Series races and the BBC will broadcast 11 plus five on British Champions Day.

Launching on 30 April 2011 in Newmarket with the prestigious 2,000 Guineas (Group 1), the British Champions Series will provide an easy‐to‐follow structure for the UK’s second most attended sport, helping to increase its appeal to a broader audience.

Karl Oliver, Chief Executive of British Champions Series, said:

“After a competitive process, I’m very pleased that we have reached an agreement with the BBC to broadcast British Champions Day. I’m confident it will soon become a must‐watch event for sports fans and racing aficionados alike, as the climax of a thrilling series.

“We look forward to working closely with both the BBC and Channel 4 in the promotion of British Champions Series leading to the premier Flat racing finale at Ascot. Both broadcasters have key roles to play to ensure British racing can be enjoyed by as many sports fans as possible.”

Charles Barnett, Chief Executive of , said:

“We are delighted that the BBC has obtained the rights to British Champions Day as it serves as instant recognition from the UK’s flagship broadcaster that even in its first two years, this new event is of national importance in sporting terms. As long‐term partners with the BBC, who cover the Royal Meeting and the King George, we are delighted they will have such a significant presence at Ascot across the whole Flat season.”

Barbara Slater, Director of Sport, BBC, said:

"We're excited to be offering our audiences the opportunity to watch the British Champions Day and share the excitement of the culmination to this fantastic event. The British Champions Series is a truly innovative concept and we hope to play our part in attracting new audiences to the sport. We value the strong relationships we have with the industry and look forward to continuing to bring the very best of the sport to the viewing public." Notes to editors

About British Champions Series British Champions Series (BCS) is a major new premier series of British horseracing, launching in 2011. It will climax with the richest fixture in British racing history, British Champions Day, at the internationally‐renowned Ascot Racecourse.

With a total prize money pot of more than £13 million, BCS will feature 35 premier Flat races, staged at ten of the UK’s leading racecourses: Ascot, Doncaster, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Haydock Park, Newbury, Newmarket’s July Course, Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, Sandown Park and York.

It will encompass British racing’s key festivals, including the Guineas Festival at Newmarket, the Festival, Royal Ascot, the Newmarket July Festival, Glorious Goodwood, the Ebor Festival at York and the Doncaster St Leger Meeting.

The Series will launch on Saturday 30 April 2011 with the 2,000 Guineas on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course and climax at a spectacular British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 15 October 2011. BCS will showcase the very best of British Flat racing via a format that is easy‐to‐follow on television, through the media and on‐course.

BCS will comprise five champion categories, namely Middle Distance, Mile, Sprint, Long Distance and Fillies and Mares. Each will feature the six highest‐rated races in each championship category, leading to a same‐day finale in each, to create easy‐to‐follow narratives for a wider audience.

For further information please contact:

Karl Oliver, Chief Executive, British Champions’ Series, 020 7152 0192

Scott Bowers, Group Director of Communications, The Jockey Club, 07809 665840

Nick Smith, Head of Public Relations, Ascot Racecourse, 07771 791 449