First Acceptances for the new $2.25 million Future Champions Series have been released, with a total of 1310 colts, geldings and fillies from across Australia remaining in the three race series.
It follows on from the 1826 two year olds which were put forward by connections in the original nominations early in December 2019.
Headlining the list is one of the nation’s premier training partnerships in Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, with 99 of their young gallopers accepted for the series.
The Peter and Paul Snowden stable have 90 first acceptors, Chris Waller has 81 accepted, while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott also boast 71 runners.
Queensland-based trainers Tony Gollan and Toby and Trent Edmonds also feature heavily, aiming to keep the prize money in their home state.
The Gollan stable have 59 runners remaining in the series, while the father-and-son Edmonds team have submitted acceptances for 43 horses.
Staged at the Brisbane Racing Club, the Future Champions Series for two-year-olds will include:
• $250,000 Group 2 Champagne Stakes (1200m), Doomben, May 9;
• $1 million Group 2 Sires’ Stakes (1400m), Eagle Farm, May 23; and
• $1 million Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m), Eagle Farm, June 6.
This is first time that the established two-year-old races have been joined as a series that recognises the history of Brisbane’s juvenile features.
The three races that now make up the new series have launched the careers of some of Australia’s great modern horses, with the honour roll including The Autumn Sun, Zoustar, Brazen Beau and Press Statement.
Click here for the Future Champions Series first acceptances (full list).
Click here for the Future Champions Series nominations (full list).
Key acceptance dates for the Future Champions Series:
First Acceptance
- Tuesday, January 21, 2020 (2PM) - $495
Second Acceptance
- Tuesday, April 28, 2020 (2PM) - $660
Final Acceptances
- Wednesday, May 6, 2020 (9AM) – Nil (Champagne Stakes);
- Wednesday, May 20, 2020 (9AM) – $5,500 (Sires’ Stakes); andWednesday, June 3, 2020 (9AM) – $5,500 (JJ Atkins).
Final Late Nomination & Acceptances
- Wednesday, May 6, 2020 (9AM) – $2,200 (Champagne Stakes);
- Wednesday, May 20, 2020 (9AM) – $44,000 (Sires’ Stakes); and
- Wednesday, June 3, 2020 (9AM) – $44,000 (JJ Atkins).