Arena Leisure today announced a prize-money boost of 3/4 million to the race programmes at Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Southwell during the forthcoming winter season which runs from November 9 to March 30, 2012.
Ian Renton, Director of Racing at Arena Leisure, expressed his delight today saying: "I am very pleased that Arena Leisure is able to offer this considerable uplift to the prize money for the All-Weather Winter Season, enabling us to reinstate a significant number of higher quality races to our winter programme. We hope the new programme provides the opportunities that owners and trainers are seeking this winter and we would like to thank the Betting Industry and the Levy Board for their assistance towards the increase in prize money."
As a result of this financial boost, the Winter Derby at Lingfield Park on Saturday, March 24, 2012, will be the richest race of the season with prize money of £100,000 and the Winter Derby Trial in February, 2012, will be re-instated as a Listed race.
Over the past 12 years, Arena Leisure has been proud to develop a very popular winter season on its All-Weather tracks, and this £3/4 million injection of prize money should help restore the quality of the programme.
The revitalised All-Weather Winter Season offers owners, trainers, jockeys and horses a varied programme of races to suit all levels at this time of year. Also back in place are the All-Weather Championships, the popular Jockeys' Championship, and a new Owners and Trainers' Championship, together with various loyalty schemes and incentives.
Paul Dixon, Chairman of the Horsemen's Group, added:
"The Horsemen's Group is delighted that Arena Leisure has made such a substantial commitment to its All-Weather winter programme. The increase in prize money and the improved programme will be of huge benefit to owners, trainers and jockeys during the winter months enabling Arena to meet the Horsemen's Group tariff for all races run at band 1 level."
