Sprint upgrades announced

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) today announced a number of enhancements to the Irish Flat Pattern race programme for the 2015 Flat season as part of a broader initiative by the European Pattern Committee to improve the overall programme for sprinters.

Three existing Group 3 sprints at the Curragh will be upgraded to Group 2 status, while Naas will stage a Group 3 race for 3yos only in early June as part of an enhanced programme for three-year-olds during the first half of the season.

Confirming the Irish Pattern race upgrades for 2015, HRI Director of Racing Jason Morris commented: “HRI is delighted to have secured four upgrades for Irish races within the sprint category in 2015, as part of a broader initiative undertaken by the European Pattern Committee.

"The aim is firstly to address the current lack of opportunities for high-class three year old sprinters to compete within their own age group up to mid-Summer, as is currently provided over all other distance categories; and secondly to improve the overall standard of Group sprint races in Europe by enhancing the programme for older sprinters also.

“Ireland has been very strong within European sprints in recent years with major international successes for the likes of Sole Power, Gordon Lord Byron, Maarek and Slade Power. There will now be three valuable and prestigious opportunities for Irish sprinters to compete at home rather than continually being forced to run abroad.

"Sole Power’s last 23 races have all been overseas, in Britain, France, Dubai and Hong Kong, and it is only appropriate that top-class Irish sprinters such as him should have opportunities within Ireland to compete at a very high level for good prize-money.

"HRI is particularly pleased to have secured an upgrade for the Flying Five, which will see its prize-money increase from €100,000 to €200,000 next year as a Group 2 event, providing a further boost for Irish Champions Weekend. Longer-term we hope that the Flying Five and the other Group 2 sprints will attract a sufficiently high quality of runners to justify future promotion to Group 1 status.

"The introduction of the Lacken into the Pattern at Group 3 will provide 3yo sprinters with a welcome first Irish Pattern race opportunity within their own age group. The race worked extremely well in its first year as a Listed event in 2014, rating well above the required Group 3 level, and the winner Due Diligence subsequently franked the form by running second in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot.

"The promotion of the Lacken is also recognition of the investment that Naas has made to improve its sprint track in recent years, and it provides the racecourse with a well-deserved first race at the Group 3 level for sprinters."

Summary of Irish Pattern Race Sprint Changes for 2015

The following Irish Pattern sprint race changes have been approved by the European Pattern Committee for 2015:

Upgraded from Listed to Group 3

Upgraded from Group 3 to 2

* The Greenlands will be converted from 3yo to 4yo due to the proximity of the Lacken Stakes (for 3yo only) at Naas - no 3yo has finished in the first two in the Greenlands for the past 10 years

**The Sapphire will move from late June to mid-July due to the lack of 5f Pattern races in Europe at that time. A new 5f 3yo Listed race will be created at the Curragh on Irish Derby Day.