Frankie Dettori, the face of the QIPCO British Champion Series
Leading jockey and racing celebrity Frankie Dettori will be the face of the new QIPCO British Champions Series which will showcase the best of British Flat racing over the next six months.
Frankie will act as an ambassador for the 35 race series that begins on Saturday 30 April with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and runs throughout the summer, encompassing British racing’s key festivals and culminating at QIPCO British Champions Day – the richest fixture in British racing history – at Ascot on Saturday 15 October.
As part of his ambassadorial role, Frankie will offer his unique insight into the sport of Flat racing, talking about his favourite races and courses, the jockeys and trainers to look out for throughout the Series, style tips for going racing and everything in between.
Frankie Dettori, the new face of the QIPCO British Champions Series, said: “This is a fantastic development for my sport. Linking together all the best races in Britain is going to create a real buzz and bring new fans to horse racing. British Flat racing is the best in the world and I’m sure this will help encourage fans of other sports to take an interest in ours.
“I will be giving my views on all the big races, the characters in the sport, which jockeys and trainers to look out for and what goes on behind the scenes. I can’t wait to talk about the amazing courses and festivals that are part of the Series, as well as giving style and fashion tips and telling people how to get the most out of our sport.
“And most of all I’m looking forward to winning some of the QIPCO British Champions Series races myself, of course!”
Karl Oliver, Chief Executive of British Champions Series Limited, said: “Frankie is one of the most recognisable faces in British sport; he holds a unique place in the hearts of the British public and racing fans.
“With his outstanding racing pedigree and record of success, there was no one better than Frankie to be the face of the QIPCO British Champions Series. His enthusiasm for Flat racing and his infectious character make him the perfect choice of sporting celebrity to engage and excite a new audience.
“In his own inimitable style, Frankie will share his views on the great races, racecourses and characters who will light up the Series, which we hope will entertain sports fans across the country.”
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QIPCO British Champions Series
The QIPCO British Champions Series is a major new premier series of British horseracing that will launch on Saturday 30 April 2011 with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile course and will climax at a spectacular new day in the British racing calendar called QIPCO British Champions Day, to be staged at Ascot on Saturday 15 October 2011.
The QIPCO British Champions Series will comprise five categories, namely Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies and Mares. Each will feature the seven highest-rated races in that category and will showcase the very best of British Flat racing, bringing together the world’s finest horses, jockeys and trainers for this series of 28 days.
Staged at the leading courses – Ascot, Doncaster, Epsom Downs, Goodwood, Haydock Park, Newbury, Newmarket’s July Course, Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, Sandown Park and York – the Series will encompass all British Flat racing’s key festivals, including the QIPCO Guineas Festival, the Investec Derby Festival, Royal Ascot, the July Festival, Glorious Goodwood, the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival at York and the Ladbrokes St Leger Meeting.
QIPCO British Champions Day, the climax to the Series, will see the final races run in each of the five categories, including the most valuable race ever run in Britain, the £1.3m QIPCO Champion Stakes, and the most valuable mile race ever run in Europe, the £1m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO. This ultimate showpiece will be the richest fixture in British racing history, featuring more than £3 million in prize money.
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About QIPCO Holding:
QIPCO is a private investment holding company owned by six brothers who are members of the Royal Family of Qatar. The Chief Executive is Sheikh Hamad, who together with his brothers are nephews of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar. One of the brothers, Sheikh Fahad, owns, under the umbrella of Pearl Bloodstock, 40 horses in training in Britain and Ireland.
QIPCO stands for Qatar Investment & Projects Development Holding Company (QIPCO Holding) and is one of the leading private shareholding companies in Qatar.
Established in 1999, QIPCO has a diverse range of interests, including real estate, construction, oil and gas, trading and services, finance, health together with joint ventures with renowned international companies, such as Siemens and Thyssenkrupp. Over time, the group has diversified itself to form individual subsidiaries, each operating independently and specialising in their fields of expertise.
