Insurance company Weatherbys Hamilton has unveiled a £1million bonus scheme designed to "celebrate, support and promote the staying horse".
The WH Stayers' Million will be given to connections of a horse that can win one of four races in May - the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot, the Ormonde Stakes at Chester, the Yorkshire Cup at York or the Henry II Stakes at Sandown - and then goes on to claim victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, the Goodwood Cup and the Lonsdale Cup at York.
Weatherbys Hamilton said in a statement: "Despite the recent trend towards breeding more precocious horses for shorter distances, it is the stayers who remain, for many, the real Trojans of the turf.
"Their battles over nearly two miles or more have made magnificent spectacles and live long in the memory. Many feel that it is imperative for the health and diversity of the European thoroughbred that these bloodlines are perpetuated and cherished.
"It is hoped that the WH Stayers' Million will help rekindle the fortunes of the stayer."
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