Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) have confirmed the return of the landmark £1,000,000 All-Weather Bonus Scheme, for a third season, that is set to be won across the winter 2024, up to Good Friday 2025.
Horses racing across ARC’s four all-weather racecourses, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Southwell and Wolverhampton will once again compete for a range of bonus prizes, including five ‘Horse of the Month’ competitions and the overall ‘Horse of the Year’ title, which carries a first prize of £100,000.
With similar rules to the first two seasons of competition, horses will accrue points for the finishing position in the first three runs in each month at an ARC all-weather racecourse, up to a total of fifteen qualifying runs across the season. The bonus scheme will include all races across the four ARC all-weather racecourses from Tuesday 22nd October to Good Friday, 18th April 2025, including the valuable All-Weather Championships Finals and Vase fixtures at Newcastle and Lingfield Park respectively.
The five Horse of the Month competitions will operate in October/November, December, January, February and March/April. Similar to last season, the January competition will join February and March/April in offering £70,000 worth of prizes to the top three horses.
A record of two wins, seven seconds, four thirds, a fourth and a fifth place from twelve qualifying runs across the 2023/24 season saw the Charlie Johnston trained Artisan Dancer announced as the All-Weather Horse of the Year on Good Friday 2024. Once again, the Horse of the Year prize will pay prizes to the top twenty horses across the season. First place will receive £100,000, with £75,000 for second and £50,000 for third. The horse placed twentieth overall will win £10,000.
Trainer Tony Carroll, was responsible for both the runner-up, Mumayaz, and third placed horse, The Craftymaster, in the 2023/24 Horse of the Year competition. Carroll was full of praise scheme ahead of this year’s competition, he said “The £1,000,000 bonus has been wonderful for racing. Everybody has got excited by it and it has been a great incentive for trainers throughout the winter. The bonus gives everybody a chance and even the ‘little man’ with a 0-50 horse can get something out of it. It has created some great fun.”
Managing Director of ARC’s Racing Division, Mark Spincer said, “We are delighted to confirm the third running of the £1,000,000 All-Weather Bonus Scheme this winter. The competition proved incredibly popular in years one and two, and we were really pleased with the level of engagement from Owners and Trainers across the country. We are really looking forward to getting underway again in October and seeing who will come out on top come the end of the season”.
Included in the ARC £1,000,000 All-Weather Bonus Scheme are prizes for the stable yards associated with the horses successful in each of the five Horse of the Month competitions as well as a cash prize for the top jockey and apprentice jockey (by wins) at each of ARC’s four all-weather racecourses over the season.
For the full terms and conditions for the ARC £1,000,000 Bonus Scheme, and for a full breakdown of the 2023/24 winners, please click here.
