The British Champions Series was a series of 35 top British flat races, which culminated in a day-long festival of championship races, known as British Champions Day. It was inaugurated in the 2011 season to draw together some of Britain's key flat races into a meaningful championship, with the hope of generating coverage and stimulating interest among the more casual sports fan. It was believed to have achieved its aims based on an increase of 7% attendance at the race days that were part of the 2011 series, as opposed to a 3.9% increase in attendances across the season's race programme as a whole.
The championships were sponsored by the Qatari investment group QIPCO since its inception in 2011. In June 2015 QIPCO renewed their sponsorship until at least 2024 in a deal worth more than £50m, the biggest sponsorship deal ever for British horse racing.
The series was split into five divisions - Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares. This series included all Group One races in Great Britain, except those limited to two year old horses.
The series was discontinued in 2025.
Races
Sprint
RaceDateDistanceCourseKing Charles III StakesMid June5 furlongsAscotCommonwealth CupMid June6 furlongsAscotQueen Elizabeth II Jubilee StakesMid June6 furlongsAscotJuly CupMid July6 furlongsNewmarketNunthorpe StakesLate August5 furlongsYorkHaydock Sprint CupEarly September6 furlongsHaydockBritish Champions Sprint StakesMid October6 furlongsAscot
Mile
RaceDateDistanceCourse2,000 GuineasEarly May1 mileNewmarketLockinge StakesMid May1 mileNewburyQueen Anne StakesMid June1 mileAscotSt. James's Palace StakesMid June1 mileAscotSussex StakesLate July1 mileGoodwoodSun Chariot StakesEarly October1 mileNewmarketQueen Elizabeth II StakesMid October1 mileAscot
Middle Distance
RaceDateDistanceCourseCoronation CupEarly June1 mile 4 furlongsEpsomEpsom DerbyEarly June1 mile 4 furlongsEpsomPrince of Wales's StakesMid June1 mile 2 furlongsAscotEclipse StakesEarly July1 mile 2 furlongsSandownKing George VI & Queen Elizabeth StakesLate July1 mile 4 furlongsAscotJuddmonte International StakesMid August1 mile 2 furlongsYorkChampion StakesMid October1 mile 2 furlongsAscot
Long Distance
RaceDateDistanceCourseYorkshire CupMid May1 mile 6 furlongsYorkAscot Gold CupMid June2 miles 4 furlongsAscotGoodwood CupEarly August2 milesGoodwoodLonsdale CupLate August2 miles 1/2 furlongYorkDoncaster CupMid September2 miles 2 furlongsDoncasterSt. Leger StakesMid September1 mile 6 furlongsDoncasterBritish Champions Long Distance CupMid October2 milesAscot
Fillies & Mares
RaceDateDistanceCourse1,000 GuineasEarly May1 mileNewmarketEpsom OaksEarly June1 mile 4 furlongsEpsomCoronation StakesMid June1 mileAscotFalmouth StakesMid July1 mileNewmarketNassau StakesEarly August1 mile 2 furlongsGoodwoodYorkshire OaksMid/Late August1 mile 4 furlongsYorkBritish Champions Fillies & Mares StakesMid October1 mile 4 furlongsAscot
See also
List of British flat horse races
References
External links British Champions Series Official Site