THE opening two classics of the British flat season, the Qipco 1000 and 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, will see prize money reach the £1 million mark.

These first two legs in the 2016 Qipco British Champions Series will now each be worth £500,000. This represents a £50,000 (or 11%) rise on last year’s value for the Qipco 2000 Guineas, run on Saturday, April 30th and a £90,000 (or 22%) increase for the Qipco 1000 Guineas on Sunday, May 1st. Entries for both races close at noon this Tuesday, March 1st. The boost is part of Qipco’s extension of their sponsorship of both the British Champions Series and the Guineas Festival until 2024.