The winds of change are about to scour racecourses throughout the United Kingdom, as one of the oldest sports in the world prepares to enter a new era.
For centuries British horseracing has been structured around stables from across the country battling for supremacy at weekly summer race meetings, with the group one and Classic races, which are contested all over the United Kingdom and Ireland, providing the highlights of each season.
This somewhat haphazard organisation of thoroughbred horseracing in the United Kingdom is not unlike that of grand prix racing in Europe during the first half of the 20th century. At the time, the best drivers in the world contested grand prix events throughout Europe, with each race considered a stand-alone event.
It wasn't until after the Second World War that attempts were made to unify the various European grand prix events into a single world championship. The lack of centralised organisation of the sport was seen as a barrier to growth and development, and in 1950 the first race in the Formula One World Championship was raced at Silverstone.
The Sovereign Series
Now, half a century later, thoroughbred horseracing in the United Kingdom is poised to adopt some of the measures that transformed formula one racing in the 1950s. Earlier this year, British horseracing authorities unveiled plans for the first seasonal horseracing championship – the Sovereign Series.
The Sovereign Series, scheduled to be contested for the first time in 2010, will link together ten group one races held at racecourses across the United Kingdom, including two Classics (the 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby), as well as several feature races from the Royal Ascot Meeting.
Points will be allocated in accordance with results in each of the races, and the Sovereign Series champion will be announced at the conclusion of the flat racing season.
The concept will inject a considerable amount of money into the sport, with $600,000 added to the purse of each Sovereign Series race, in addition to a bonus fund split between the top three thoroughbreds at the conclusion of the series. The series will also crown the top 3 year old thoroughbred in the United Kingdom every season.
An end to Diversity?
While the Sovereign Series is certain to add another dimension to flat racing in the United Kingdom, and may even mark the transformation of thoroughbred racing into a bona fide spectator sport, there has been opposition to the changes sweeping through the sport from purists who wish to protect the ancient traditions of thoroughbred racing in the United Kingdom.
One of the most persistent critiques levelled at the series has been the fear that it will destroy diversity in flat racing. Unlike Formula One racing where a high degree of standardisation is both necessary and desirable, flat racing is competed by horses of varying age ranges and genders, trained to perform over diverse race distances.
The Sovereign Series will focus public attention on races featuring 3 year old thoroughbreds, racing over distances close to a mile. While these racehorses are virtually certain to become stars in their own right, they would simultaneously deflect attention away from other important race formats and age groups.
While this criticism has some validity, those who back the creation of the Sovereign Series have pointed out that drastic changes are required in horseracing, as it is currently losing ground to other sports and leisure activities in the United Kingdom. The Sovereign Series is perceived as a natural part of the evolution of the sport, and it is believed that its creation will help British racing grow and prosper.
If you liked this article you might also enjoy these: