Chelmsford City Racecourse Announces Significant Prize-Money Boost For 2022

Chelmsford City Racecourse has underlined its commitment to supporting a broad range of racing’s participants with a further boost to prize-money in 2022.

From February, the total prize fund for each of the Class 4 handicaps will be £13,000. Class 5 races will have prize funds of £10,000, and Class 6 races will be run at £7,300, which represents an average increase in executive contributions by Chelmsford City of 80% on 2021. Class 2 and 3 races will also have prize-money of £25,000 and £15,000 respectively.

Chelmsford City is also looking forward to staging the final leg of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Cardinal Stakes, on Thursday, 31 March 2022. With the meeting having been lost during racing’s Covid shutdown in 2020, this is only the third running of the conditions race run over a mile, which, this year, carries prize-money of £100,000.

Just over a fortnight later, the Good Friday card on 15 April is worth a total of £112,000 in prize-money across seven races, including a £30,000 Class 2 ten-furlong handicap.

In a further boost to the quality of racing on offer at Chelmsford City, there are two Listed races, the Chelmer Stakes worth £87,500 and the Queen Charlotte Fillies’ Stakes which will be run for £100,000 on Sunday, 3rd July with a host of activities and entertainment for racegoers to enjoy throughout the day along with the racing.

“It has long been our desire to improve the quality of racing on offer here at Chelmsford, as well as ensuring decent returns for the owners, trainers and jockeys who support our racecourse week in and week out,” said Chelmsford City’s director of racing Neil Graham.

“The Queen Charlotte is one of two Listed races that we are proud to stage at the track, and we are thrilled to be offering a very valuable pot for that this year. The same goes for the Cardinal Stakes, which is clearly not just an important stepping stone for connections, who may have their sights set on Churchill Downs, but also offers a great trial opportunity for our Classics closer to home – and with a huge prize on offer. We look forward to welcoming entries for both races, as well as for our regular cards throughout the year.”

Newmarket-based Charlie Fellowes won the inaugural running on the Queen Charlotte Stakes with Carolinae and has been one of a number of British trainers to have been vocal in his concern for declining prize-money in Britain.

He said: “Chelmsford have always made it very clear that decent prize-money is something they prioritise highly and on the all-weather especially they have very much led the way. We were lucky enough to win the Queen Charlotte on what was then the richest evening meeting in Britain. At a time when competition globally is becoming ever more fierce and Britain is getting left behind, it’s encouraging to see Chelmsford really doing their bit in trying to make the situation as sustainable and competitive as possible on the domestic front.”

For further enquiries, please contact Neil Graham by emailing neil.graham@chelmsfordcityracecourse.com.