Goodwood Racecourse Announces Biggest Sponsorship In British Racing With Qatar

Goodwood Racecourse has secured a 10-year partnership with Qatar,   the biggest sponsorship deal ever done for the benefit of British racing. Commencing in 2015,  Qatar Goodwood Festival becomes one of the most valuable meetings in the world.

Over £2 million will be invested in prize money for eight key races during the Qatar Goodwood Festival 2015 as well as a commitment to increase this year-on-year. Total prize money on offer for the week now totals £4.5million. 

The Group 1 Qatar Sussex Stakes, scheduled for Wednesday, 29^th July, has a total prize fund of £1 million cementing its position as one of the most valuable mile races in the world. The Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, the feature race on the Saturday of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is now worth £600,000, making it the most significant mid-summer race for fillies. 

Each Group 2 feature race, The Qatar Lennox Stakes (Tuesday), The Qatar Goodwood Cup (Thursday) and The Qatar King George Stakes (Friday) are now worth £300,000, recognising their recent records for attracting some of the best horses at their respective distances. In addition, Qatar has guaranteed that if any current Group 2 race achieves Group 1 status, the prize money will rise to at least £500,000.

Other races to benefit from increased prize money are the two Group 2 races for two-year-olds, The Qatar Vintage Stakes and The Qatar Richmond Stakes, each of which will run for £200,000, supporting their status as the proving grounds for future champions.

The Qatar Stewards’ Cup is the headline handicap of the week with prize money now totalling £250,000 and, as part of this uplift, the consolation race rises to £75,000. 

The Qatar Sussex Stakes, The Qatar Goodwood Cup and The Qatar Nassau Stakes will remain part of the QIPCO British Champion Series.

The inaugural Qatar Goodwood Festival will take place from Tuesday, 28^th July to Saturday, 1^st August 2015.

Lord March, owner of Goodwood, stressed that the look and feel of Goodwood would remain the same and there is no intention to change branding despite the title sponsorship.  He said: “Our partnership with Qatar will make an enormous contribution to horseracing in the UK.”