QIPCO British Champions Series has announced it is launching the first official Hall of Fame for Flat racing which will honour the champions of the sport.
On Monday, ahead of the QIPCO 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas being run at Newmarket, the inaugural list of Hall of Famers will be unveiled.
The launch of the initiative marks the tenth anniversary of QIPCO’s sponsorship of the British Champions Series, and the Hall of Fame will immortalise the greats of British Flat racing, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards.
During the Flat season, there will be two points when Hall of Famers will be inducted. The first of those is ahead of the QIPCO Guineas Festival in May and the second being at QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October.
Hall of Famers will be selected from four categories – horses, jockeys, trainers, and major contributors such as owners, breeders and other leading figures. The number of inductions made on each occasion will be flexible but with one horse, one jockey and one trainer to be inducted each year.
The inductions will be decided by an independent panel made up of:
Martin Mitchell, former Tattersalls Bloodstock Director
Emma Berry, European Editor, Thoroughbred Daily News
Brough Scott, Racing Broadcaster and Journalist
Jamie Lynch, Racing Broadcaster and Journalist
James Delahooke, International Bloodstock Agent
Lydia Hislop, Racing Broadcaster and Journalist
Alan Byrne, Editor-in-Chief, Racing Post
Ruth Quinn, Racing Director, BHA
The panel will also agree an annual shortlist of horses to be put to public vote and the winning horse will also join the Hall of Fame in October each year.
Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Thani, Director of QIPCO Holdings, said: “My brothers and I are passionate about British Flat racing and its rich history and heritage which makes it the envy of other racing jurisdictions the world over.
“We are delighted to announce the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, which will honour tremendous contributions made to British Flat racing and will celebrate our most significant and important stars and their achievements.
“When I first got involved in British racing, I was captivated by racing’s rich history and I hope that the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame will engage and excite existing and new fans by shining a light on the sport’s most important figures.”
Rod Street, Chief Executive of QIPCO British Champions Series, added: “British Champions Series, which showcases the finest Flat racing, is the perfect home for a Hall of Fame.
“Over the past decade, QIPCO have been dedicated and committed partners of British racing and our thanks go to them for their support of the QIPCO British Champions Hall of Fame and for helping to make this a reality. Our racing is the best in the world, and we are delighted to be able to honour our greats through this exciting new initiative.
