Season 12 of the All-Weather Championships kicks off at Newcastle on Tuesday, October 22, and once again culminates on Good Friday, April 18, with Finals Day at Newcastle and the All-Weather Vase at Lingfield Park.
The £1-million Finals Day at Newcastle includes amendments to the BetUK Marathon Final, with the field size increased to 20 and a prize fund of £175,000.
The structure of the All-Weather Championships remains largely unchanged, with horses requiring a minimum of three runs on all-weather surfaces in Britain, Ireland and France during the qualifying period to be eligible for Finals Day. One of these three qualifying runs will continue to be permitted to take place on dirt in either Dubai or Saudi Arabia.
For the first time this season, horses may qualify for Finals Day with three runs on an all-weather surface in the USA during the qualifying period. The winner of the Carousel Club Handicap at Gulfstream Park on January 25 will receive free (but not guaranteed) entry into the Mile Final on Good Friday.
There will be All-Weather Championships Trials Day fixtures at Newcastle on January 17 and Lingfield Park on February 28, each hosting six £45,000 open handicaps in the respective categories.
The winner of each AWC Trials Day race will be eligible for free entry to the corresponding Finals Day race at Newcastle, as well as a £15,000 bonus should they go on to also win on Good Friday. Any horse that wins at both AWC Trials Days in the same category and goes on to also win at Newcastle will be eligible for a total bonus of £35,000.
Two of the feature Stakes races of the season – the BetUK Churchill Stakes and BetUK Golden Rose Stakes – have moved from Lingfield Park to Newcastle. Both Listed contests will take place on November 16.
As in previous years, there will be cash prizes awarded to the jockey, trainer and owner who accumulates the most wins during the season:
AW Champion Jockey – £10,000
AW Champion Jockey runner-up – £5,000
AW Champion Apprentice – £4,000
AW Champion Apprentice runner-up – £1,000
AW Champion Owner – £10,000
AW Champion Trainer – £10,000
Running alongside the All-Weather Championships, ARC’s £1 million All-Weather Bonus competition is now in its third year. Horses accrue points by running at ARC’s four all-weather tracks during the winter, with monthly and end-of-season prizes on offer to the most successful runners.
Mark Spincer, Managing Director of ARC’s Racing Division, said: “We are delighted to be bringing the All-Weather Championships back for its 12th season. The changes we made to the programme last year were well received and we aim to build on that with some further tweaks for the forthcoming season. Coupled with ARC's £1-million All-Weather Bonus scheme, there are plenty of incentives for trainers, jockeys and owners on the all-weather throughout the winter.”
