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SOVEREIGN
STAKES UPGRADED TO 'GROUP' STATUS
Posted
January 19th, 2004
Salisbury
Racecourse's feature race - The Sovereign Stakes - has been
upgraded from Listed to Group 3 status.
It means
that the 1 mile contest for colts and geldings aged three
years and older becomes the first 'Pattern' race at Salisbury
for 18 years.
Clerk
of the Course, Jeremy Martin explained: 'The race has done
particularly well in the last couple of seasons and the average
ratings of the first four horses home both years resulted
in the race getting the upgrade we were hoping for'.
The Sovereign
Stakes had been a Listed race (the next level down from Group
3 class) for four years but had attracted Group 3 type horses
because of the increased prize money that was offered.
Last year,
as a £50,000 race, it was won by Passing Glance who beat the
2002 winner Priors Lodge by a short-head. Both horses then
went on to win a Group 2 race (the next level up from Group
3) within a month of Salisbury's showpiece.
Martin
continued: 'Last years race had Group 3 written all over
it so we are delighted that the European Pattern Committee,
who decide these horse racing upgrades, confirmed their decision
last week. There was a Group 3 race here until 1986 - the
old 2,000 Guineas Trial which got moved to another racecourse.'
Passing
Glance is part-owned by Racecourse Chairman, Michael Wates
who added: 'Passing Glance's victory was a real highlight
and the horse improved again after that. I am pleased that
Salisbury will again be able to stage a Group race - the course
has deserved it. We have a very good level of prize money
for a small independent racecourse, and we continue to attract
particularly nice horses every year'.
Speaking
from Portman Square in London, Ruth Quinn, Director of Racing
at the British Horseracing Board commented: 'I am particularly
pleased for Salisbury who have worked very hard to make the
Sovereign Stakes a success'.
The Sovereign
Stakes, which will be sponsored by the Tote, is to be run
at Salisbury on Thursday 12th August this year.
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