The first race of the 2019 Matchbook EBF Future Stayers’ Series begins at Yarmouth

The first of sixteen races in the Matchbook EBF Future Stayers’ Series takes place at Yarmouth tomorrow evening at 5.45pm.

The series, which was created in 2015 to support the stayers programme, received a significant boost earlier this year when Matchbook Betting Exchange teamed up with the EBF matching their prize money contribution and bringing the total prize fund to £283,000. Matchbook have also committed to a £100,000 bonus for any winner from the series who goes on to win a Group 1 race over 10 furlongs or further in their three-year-old year.

Each of the races, to be run over at least 7f, will be worth a minimum of £14,000 and graduates already include racing superstars such as Stradivarius and Cracksman.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Line Of Duty, a star graduate of the Series has a runner in the first race of 2019 in the shape of $1.3 million yearling purchase Sun Cuisine:

“It is fantastic to see the EBF supporting and promoting a better programme for middle distance and future staying type horses. The sire/dam restricted races are a great initiative and provide an excellent platform for potential top-class horses of this type.”

Classic winning trainer, Hugo Palmer hopes his runner can repay her connections the money that they spent on Collette in one run:

“Tomorrow’s Matchbook EBF Future Stayers Novice Stakes has a value of £14,000 which is fantastic and is exactly the type of race we want to be involved in. My filly (Collette) only cost 8,000gns so she could recoup her purchase price in one fell swoop! The Series will further help promote middle-distance and staying horses, which can only be a good thing for our sport.”

The facts

• 16 races run across 13 racecourses from August to December over a minimum distance of 7 furlongs.
• First race run at Yarmouth on the 7th of August.
• Minimum prize value £14,000 and a total series value of £283,000.
• £100,000 bonus for any winner in the series who goes on to win a Group 1 in the UK or Ireland over 10 furlongs or more in their three-year-old year.
• £100,000 split as follows – £70,000 owner, £10,000 breeder, £10,000 trainer, £10,000 stable staff of trainer’s yard, at least £1,000 of which to go to the winning groom.
• Star graduates include Cracksman, Stradivarius, Across The Stars, Royal Marine and Line of Duty.

Philip Mitchell, Chairman of the EBF said:

“The bonus is eminently winnable – if it had been in place in the 2016 season for example, Cracksman would have been the first recipient. He won an EBF sire/dam restricted race at Newmarket towards the end of the 2016 season and then went on to win the Champions’ Stakes (Gr.1) at Ascot over 1m2f at the end of his three-year-old career.”

Matchbook CEO Mark Brosnan said:

“Matchbook are extremely passionate about the future of horse racing and we want our sponsorships to make a difference, whilst also providing exposure for our brand. We are incredibly excited to partner with the EBF on this innovative initiative, which we believe supports the grassroots of the sport. Horses like Stradivarius and Dee Ex Bee exemplify how this series provides an insight into the staying stars of the future.”