Prize money cut for Ascot showpiece

Prize money for British Champions Day at Ascot on October 17 has been cut by 40% as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hit racing.

British racing returned on June 1, having been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, and the sport is still counting the cost as spectators have yet to return to the track.

Figures released ahead of the October showpiece, which is the finale of the British Champions Series, show the prize money on offer is £2.5million, down from nearly £4.3million in 2019.

The Champion Stakes is worth £750,000, compared to more than £1.3million last year, while the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes has been cut from £1.1million to £650,000.

“We are pleased to be able to stage a card worth £2.5m despite our income streams being so negatively affected and the enormous challenges facing the sport currently,” said series chief executive Rod Street.

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