Sponsor The Wigley Group is offering a bonus of £100,000 to any horse that can win Warwick’s most valuable contest of the season – The Wigley Group Classic Chase (Saturday 14th January) – and then go on to succeed in the world’s greatest chase, the Randox Grand National at Aintree (Saturday 15th April).
A Premier Handicap Chase staged over a distance of three miles and five furlongs, The Wigley Group Classic Chase offers a perfect trial for the Aintree showpiece as evidenced in 2017 by the Lucinda Russell-trained One For Arthur, who following his Warwick triumph went on to score at Aintree just under three months’ later.
One For Arthur will be returning to Warwick on The Wigley Group Classic Chase Day as part of the celebrations for the contest’s 50th anniversary. First staged in 1973 when it was won by Princess Camilla, two other winners of the Classic Chase went on to be placed at Aintree – Loving Words (1982, 3rd at Aintree) and Moorcroft Boy (1994, 3rd at Aintree).
If a horse is successful at Warwick and Aintree in 2023, the £100,000 bonus will be divided as follows:
Owner £75,000
Trainer £10,000
Jockey £10,000 (if two different jockeys, it will be £5,000 each)
Stable Staff £5,000
Tommy Williams, General Manager at Warwick Racecourse, said: “The Wigley Group Classic Chase is always a highly-competitive contest and this new bonus offers an exciting new dimension.
“I would like to thank The Wigley Group for this very generous initiative. As One For Arthur proved in 2017, winning at Warwick and then progressing to win at Aintree is very achievable and hopefully the £100,000 bonus on offer in 2023 will help The Wigley Group Classic Chase attract a decent number of Randox Grand National aspirants.”
James Davies, Chief Executive Officer at The Wigley Group and a member of the Warwick Racecourse committee, said: “We are incredibly excited to be putting this bonus forward on one of the biggest stages in the global racing calendar.
“It is not only a fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Classic Chase, but also marks 10 years of The Wigley Group proudly supporting Warwick Racecourse.”
The Wigley Group is an ISO 45001 and 9001 certificated company that is active in real estate acquisition, development and construction, as well as asset management of portfolios for both itself and commercial partners.
Based at Stockton House in the Stratford-on-Avon District of Warwickshire since 2019, it directly employs around 40 people. Please go to www.thewigleygroup.com for further information.
