Sky Bet Sunday Series finale: two horses chasing £100,000 bonus pool
The 2023 Sky Bet Sunday Series comes to an end at Sandown this weekend with connections of two horses chasing the £100,000 bonus pool for horses who can win three races across the six fixtures.Derry Lad and Blow Your Horn are two eligible horses - if both win, then the £100,000 prize will be shared.
Derry Lad, with Series wins at Hamilton and Pontefract, lines up in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Middle Distance Apprentice Handicap at 5.15pm and Blow Your Horn, successful in Beverley and Hamilton Series legs, goes for glory in the Sky Bet Sunday Series Stayers' Handicap at 6.45pm.Kevin Coleman, trainer of Derry Lad, described the challenge ahead, saying: “It’s a great incentive. It's very hard to do and not been won before - that's why it's worth £100,000.“He only ran two weeks ago. He had a hard race on heavy ground and he's stepping back to a mile and two - the trip isn't ideal and Sandown is a long way - but for a 100 grand you'd go anywhere and we've got one last shot at it.”Meanwhile, Ian Williams, trainer of Blow Your Horn, said: “The Sky Bet Sunday Series has been a terrific success in showcasing the sport on a Sunday slot and offering great prize-money and bonuses for trainers and owners to target. Blow Your Horn is owned by the Ian Williams Racing Club and for a small syndicate like ours to be involved in going for such a big pot is fantastic. We are all very excited – if a little nervous – but the horse is in great form, and the distance and ground should suit well.”Now in its third year, the Series is an industry-wide collaboration between ITV, Racecourse Media Group, Sky Betting and Gaming and the participating racecourses, which showcases the sport in a Sunday twilight slot on ITV and Racing TV during the summer.Stable Staff also have the opportunity to win cash prizes, with a total of £15,000 (£10k, £3k, £2k) to be paid out to the stable staff of the first three trainers in the Series. Richard Fahey’s stable currently leads the standings. In addition, Sky Bet have once again kindly sponsored and offered £250 for the Best Turned Out in each race.2023 has heralded exciting new initiatives, such as the inaugural Jockey Cup, which has seen Oisin Orr (twice), Joe Fanning, Connor Beasley and Tom Marquand each pocket £10,000 for finishing top rider at the five fixtures to date.Also new for this year, is the partnership with the MND Association, whose Head of Development, Ian Gardner, has been thrilled with how the link-up has gone.
He said: “I’d like to say thank you to everyone involved with the Sky Bet Sunday Series and the wider racing community, who have helped us raise awareness and funds for investment in research for effective treatments, and ultimately a cure. More than 5,000 people in the UK are living with it at any one time but it can be defeated.”
To donate £5, please text MNDRACE to 70085 or visit justgiving.com/campaign/ SkyBetSundaySeries