Jockeys may be competing against each other in Formula One-style racing teams from next year.

Story highlights

Twelve branded teams to compete over eight weeks of competition

"The Series" follows Formula One's model of team ownership

Organizers hope to broaden racing audiences

CNN  — 

What do you get when you mix horse racing with Formula One?

A new flat-racing competition called “The Series” will see 12 branded teams – each with one trainer, four jockeys and 30 horses – compete against each other at some of the UK’s most famous racecourses from 2019.

Just like Red Bull in F1 and Team Sky in cycling, the teams will be owned by major international brands.

All 48 races across the eight meetings will have a prize money pot of at least £100,000 ($138,000) which will be divided among stable staff, owners, trainers or jockeys.

“This is a fantastic chance for racing to lead the way in changing how people watch sport, both live and in terms of bite-size, interactive content,” said Jeremy Wray, chief executive of Championship Horse Racing (CHR), which developed the concept.

Jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe (L) wins the Durban July race riding Marinarseco at the Greyville Race Course in Durban on July 1, 2017. 
The Durban July horse race is the biggest horse racing event on the African continent and a high social event where South African celebrities dress up and watch the race. It attracts close to 100,000 spectators. / AFP PHOTO / RAJESH JANTILAL        (Photo credit should read RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images)
A look at South Africa's horse racing industry
22:20 - Source: CNN

Twenty20 Cricket, Formula E

Organizers hope the new format will “turbo boost the audience, prize money and participation growth rates” of the sport, similar to how the Twenty20 format has aided cricket.

The CHR’s website also states it hopes The Series “will showcase the pure excitement of the sport”, as well as distancing it from gambling.

"The Series" - what's it all about?

  • 12 branded teams to compete over the eight week competition

  • Each team will have a squad of 30 horses and four jockeys, led by leading racehorse trainer

  • Each race day will feature six handicap flat races, with each branded team nominating one runner for each race to create 12-runner fields

  • Minimum total prize money pot: 4.8 million pounds

  • A points system, similar to F1, will decide who wins the team and jockeys championships

  • It also aims to attract more casual fans, dismissing the idea “that ‘expert’ knowledge is a pre-requisite to following the action.”

    Gambling – or “having a punt” in British parlance – is a staple of life in the UK, particularly on big horse racing days.

    Racing is of huge importance to the British economy. After soccer, it is the UK’s best attended sport, with a total economic impact of £3.45 billion ($4.76 million), according to a 2013 report by consultancy firm Deloitte.

    READ: Female jockeys are just as good as men, according to this study

    ‘New approach’

    “Jeremy and his team are bringing a really far-thinking approach to the offer they’re taking to market for brands to get involved,” said Simon Bazalgette, group chief executive of The Jockey Club, which runs 15 racecourse venues in Britain.

    Rider Savannah McCarthy races down Harrison Avenue while skier Mike Fries airs out off the final jump of the Leadville skijoring course during the 68th annual Leadville Ski Joring weekend competition on Saturday, March 4, 2017 in Leadville, Colorado. S
Skijoring, which has its origins as a competitive sport in Scandinavia, has been adapted over the years to include a team made up of a rider and skier who must navigate jumps, slalom gates, and the spearing of rings for points. Leadville, with an elevation of 10,152 feet (3,094 m), the highest incorporated city in North America, has been hosting skijoring competitions since 1949. / AFP PHOTO / Jason Connolly        (Photo credit should read JASON CONNOLLY/AFP/Getty Images)
    Skijoring: One of the wildest sports around
    01:16 - Source: Ski Joring America

    The Jockey Club, which stages events including The Investec Derby, Randox Health Grand National, and The Cheltenham Festival, helped CHR to develop its concept.

    Visit CNN.com/horseracing for more news, features and videos

    Jeremy Gosden, a two-time champion trainer, has also put his weight behind the new series, calling the concept “the most creative and positive racing sponsorship opportunity I have seen.”