‘Simply put, we wanted it to be the best,’ says Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, the British Champions Series and the man at the reins of Ascot’s annual QIPCO British Champions Day. ‘So, when we held our inaugural event in 2011, we approached everything with exclusivity and prestige in mind.’
Almost six years on and Street’s team have achieved just that. With preparations for the seventh British Champions Day on 21st October already underway, the newest fixture on the sports fixture circuit is well and truly out of the gate.
‘We’re conscious it’s still in its infancy,’ says Street. ‘But we’ve cultivated a reputation as a premium experience. The idea was to give the British flat racing season a real finale at the end of the year.’
‘From middle-distance performers and the top sprinters, to the best milers and the top staying horses, Champions Day brings together the top competitors of the year – like flat racing’s Olympics, if you will.’
And, with six races throughout the day – five of which are part of the official racing series – there is a lot to play for.
Following the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas in Newmarket, the Investec Derby at Epsom and other big festivals throughout the year including the St Leger at Doncaster and events at Goodwood and York, British Champions Day has succeeded not only in rounding off the annual season, but also in raising the profile of flat racing as a whole.
‘Strategically, the racing world is getting smaller and more competitive,’ says Street. ‘But, whilst there are more festivals in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia, British racing is still perceived to be the best in the world. Certainly winning a British Group 1 race – which is what these top flat races are classed as – is seen to be the true measure of a good horse.
‘But even then we knew that the competition was growing, so we felt that we couldn’t just rest on our laurels and assume we’d always be the best. Champions Day, therefore, was an investment in our own sport. And, since we launched, we’ve seen some really interesting things happen.
‘As a result of staging the biggest and best races we can, there has been a surge in sponsorship, and we’ve seen the value of the series increase by 35 per cent. Champions Day alone has doubled in prize money even since 2011. It started off as a £2 million race day but, with the long term sponsorship from QIPCO, this has already doubled and we we up to £4.2 million last year.
‘And more money means we attract the best horses, so it’s a win-win. The day – as we initially intended – is now all about prestige.’
With guests of honour including gold-medal winning Olympians and Queen Elizabeth herself (the monarch is yet to miss a British Champions Day), the day is moving from strength to strength. In fact, the ink is only just drying on a four-year exclusive coverage deal with ITV.
‘We have a pre-race parade, we have pyrotechnics – away from the horses, of course – and we have enormous images of the jockeys on the side of the grandstands, literally building them up,’ says Street eagerly. ‘We just want to surprise and delight those who come along. And staging the event at Ascot is definitely an important part of that.’
Early talks, Street reveals, floated the idea of moving British Champions Day to different venues year-on-year. But, after much deliberation, it was decided to keep the event at the home of British racing, where racing aficionados and newcomers alike would be thrilled by the spectacle, and history was most likely to be made.
‘It’s an event – and a venue – that creates special moments,’ says Street. ‘You never know where the stories will come from but, by having the best racers at one meeting, you will invariably see something amazing. Every year up to now we’ve been blessed with an interesting racing story across all of the divisions, so hopefully we’ll get the same excitement this year!’
And, with some of the most promising horses in the world set to take to one of the most iconic tracks in the world yet again this year, we certainly wouldn’t bet against it.
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
