British EBF announces new and lucrative series for two-year-olds

The British European Breeders’ Fund (EBF), which became Britain’s largest sponsor when allocating £1.7 million to more than 750 Flat races last year, has announced an extra £100,000 of prize-money for the new British EBF 2yo Series for 2022.

The series involves a programme of races which provides progeny of middle-market stallions opportunities to develop through their juvenile career and have meaningful, high-value targets at the end of the season.

This will be achieved through the restricted novice and maiden races, contests which already exist and where horses are allocated a band to race within depending on their auction and median-auction value.

The finals will be staged at Goodwood and York, both of whom have pledged full financial support requested by the British EBF in their tender process.

Any EBF eligible two-year-olds can race in one of more than 110 EBF-restricted novice or maiden races during the 2022 British Flat season. If they finish in the first six, they will be eligible for one of the two seven-furlong finals held in the autumn.

The finals will take place between early September and early October, while the British EBF trustees’ decision not to programme them as early closing races was designed to make them as accessible as possible.

Simon Sweeting, chairman of the British EBF, said: “With a reduction in racing in 2020 came a small surplus of funds for the British EBF. The trustees were keen to make sure this money was refocused to do the maximum good it could for the industry.

"This series not only provides tantalising prize-money targets but also aims to add the EBF’s weight to encouraging owners to reinvest at the yearling sales. With no early closing stages and over 100 chances to qualify a horse, we hope owners and trainers will support this new initiative. We are looking forward to two highly competitive finals in the autumn."

A full list of qualifiers can be found here.

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