The British Horseracing Board has announced new minimum race values to apply from 1st January 2000. These take account of the increase in the Horserace Betting Levy Board’s allocation to prize money of £2.5 million within a new total of £34 million.
The new minima reflect the Board’s policy that, as far as available finances permit, all races have minimum values appropriate to the class of horses that they are designed to attract, thus rewarding horses in accordance with their ability.
The minimum values have also been established in the context of the BHB and HBLB’s agreed merit-based scheme of incentivisation of racecourses. This aims to maximise racecourses’ contribution to prize money within a minimum value framework which also provides the flexibility to promote races above minimum values. (More than 50% of races currently carry prize money in excess of the minima). Racecourses’ total contribution (through their own and sponsorship funds) towards prize money increased by £4.6 million from 1996 to 1998.
For 2000, there will be rises in minimum values across-the-board, with increases for Classes A to F for both Flat and National Hunt racing. Full details of the new minimum values for all race Classes, both Flat and National Hunt, are attached. Among the main points to note are:
* All Pattern races will in future be advertised as Total Prize Funds. The majority of courses have used this form of race advertisement in 1999 as it allows them to promote in advance the full breakdown of prize money to the connections of all winning and placed horses.
* In accordance with the recommendations of BHB’s National Hunt & Fixtures Review Group Report, the Class B National Hunt category has been sub-divided, so that a higher minimum value will apply for Open Handicaps than all other types of race in this category.
* Also in accordance with the recommendations of the same Report, lower minimum values of £3,500 and £2,750 will apply for Classes E & F respectively for Flat AWT fixtures from 1st January until the start of the Flat Turf season. This will both provide the AWTs with additional flexibility to stage high quality racing and close the differential between the Hurdle and AWT Flat minima during this period of the year.
Minimum Value Changes (1999/2000)
Flat Racing
FLAT – 3yo+ FLAT – 2yo
Class 1st Half 2nd Half 1st Half 2nd Half
1999 1999 2000 +/- 1999 1999 2000 +/-
Gp 1 100,000 100,000 135,000 * n/a 60,000 60,000 120,000 * n/a
Gp 2 50,000 50,000 60,000 * n/a 35,000 35,000 45,000 * n/a
Gp 3 30,000 30,000 35,000 * n/a 25,000 25,000 30,000 * n/a
Listed 20,000 20,500 21,000 +1000 16,500 17,000 17,500 +1000
B 14,000 14,250 14,500 +500 11,500 12,000 12,250 +750
C 9,000 9,250 9,500 +500 8,250 8,500 8,750 +500
D 5,250 5,500 5,500 +250 4,500 4,750 4,750 +250
4,750 5,000 5,000 +250
E 3,500 3,600 3,700 +200 3,500 3,600 3,700 +200
F 2,750 2,850 3,000 +250 2,750 2,850 3,000 +250
G 2,500 2,500 2,500 n/c 2,500 2,500 2,500 n/c
Jump Racing
Steeple Chases Hurdle Races
Class 1st Half 2nd Half 1st Half 2nd Half
1999 1999 2000 +/- 1999 1999 2000 +/-
Gd 1 60,000 60,000 65,000 * n/a 40,000 40,000 43,500 * n/a
Gd 2 30,000 30,000 32,500 * n/a 20,000 20,000 22,000 * n/a
Gd 3 30,000 30,000 40,000 * n/a 20,000 20,000 30,000 * n/a
Gd 1 Nov 35,000 35,000 38,500 * n/a 25,000 25,000 27,500 * n/a
Gd 2 Nov 20,000 20,000 22,000 * n/a 15,000 15,000 16,000 * n/a
Gd 1 NHF 15,000 15,000 20,000 * n/a
Gd 2 NHF 10,000 10,000 11,000 * n/a
B 12,000 12,500 14,000 +2000 8,500 9,000 10,000 +1500
12,000 12,500 12,500 +500 8,500 9,000 9,000 +500
C 8,000 8,400 8,500 +500 6,500 6,800 7,000 +500
D 5,250 5,500 5,500 +250 4,000 4,200 4,250 +250
E 4,000 4,100 4,200 +200 2,900 3,000 3,100 +200
F 3,000 3,100 3,200 +200 2,250 2,350 2,400 +150
G 2,500 2,500 2,500 n/c 2,000 2,000 2,000 n/c
H 1,350 1,350 1,500 +150 1,750 2,000 2,000 +250
Note
* denotes the Minimum Total Prize Fund val
