EBF Creates Fillies' Series

The European Breeders' Fund has created a 20-race series designed for fillies that fall below black-type level. Called the EBF Breeders' Fillies Series, the 20 races–all handicaps for 3-year-olds and up–will be worth a total of £625,000, with a minium purse of £20,000, and will culminate in a four-race finale at Newmarket Oct. 1. The series is designed to incentivize owners of fillies at this level to keep them in training rather than sell or export them. The races will be contested over six, eight, 10 and 12 furlongs and will begin May 7 at Ascot. The series is a collaboration between the British Horseracing Authority, the Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the British European Breeders' Fund. The TBA has put up an additional incentive of a stallion nomination voucher for any qualifying filly that wins one of the final-day handicaps. That prize is worth up to £25,000.

“This series is designed to create and enhance opportunities for those fillies often referred to as 'twilight' horses,” said Ruth Quinn, the BHA's director of racing development. “It is a valuable and worthwhile initiative, and one which complements the BHA's ongoing review into the fillies' race programme. While we have made great improvements to the fillies' programme in recent years, the generous prize money provided by the EBF and TBA serves to further strengthen the fare for fillies. It is excellent news, too, that several racecourses, when approached by us, have upgraded races in order to be part of this series.”