- Races to be staged at Carlisle on 29 November 2015 and Huntingdon on 25 February 2016 over 2m 4f
- Both races to offer at least £30,000 in prize money
- Addition of races part of ongoing enhancement of Mares’ Chase programme
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today announced the details of two new Mares’ Listed Steeple Chases, scheduled for the first time in the 2015/16 season.
The races will be run at Carlisle on 29 November 2015 and Huntingdon on 25 February 2016, both over 2m 4f, each offering prize money of at least £30,000.
In recent years the BHA has undertaken measures to enhance the Mares’ Jump programme, in order to provide further incentives for owners and trainers to own mares and keep them in training. These two new, valuable Listed races have been added to the programme to complement the Listed Mares’ Steeple Chase held at Doncaster for the first time last season.
Ruth Quinn, the BHA’s Director of International Racing and Racing Development, said:
“The new races outlined today are a further step in developing an aspirational programme of races for mares. It is hoped that this will help to further encourage meaningful change in behaviour, with the long-term objective of bolstering the number of Jumping mares in training. These two new races bring us a step closer to implementing a comprehensive Black Type Mares’ Steeple Chase programme in Britain, with the longer-term ambition being to have a mares’ Chase added to the Cheltenham Festival card.”
November and February were identified as the optimal months to hold the two new Mares’ Listed Steeple Chases and invitations were sent to racecourses to apply to stage them. As well as complementing the existing Listed Mares’ Steeple Chase held at Doncaster in December, the dates of the two new races take account of the existing mares’ Black Type steeple chasing opportunities in Ireland, which should help to ensure the maximum utilisation of the available horse population.
The successful venues were agreed by the BHA’s Jump Racing Committee, taking into consideration the location of the racecourse, existing Black Type races, race distance options and prize money.
Notes to editors:
1. In July this year the BHA outlined the enhancements to the Mares’ Jump programme, the press release can be seen here: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/press_releases/mares-jump-programme-receives-further-boosts/
