Ireland's equine old-stagers to be looked after

Veterans chases, which have become a welcome addition to the calendar cross-channel, are due to make their debut at Wexford on St Patrick's Day with the inclusion of the Bettyville Park Handicap Steeplechase (for ten-year-olds and upwards) on the seven race programme.

Horse Racing Ireland's Director of Racing, Jason Morris said: "It's the first of its kind in Ireland and we thought we'd try one out just to see how it'll work. Obviously we're conscious of the fact that there's been a few of them in Britain which seem to work quite well. There was one at the weekend at Newbury (Blue Square Supporting Greatwood Veterans' Handicap Chase – won by Regal Heights) which got a good field. It's something we've been looking at for a while and we were just trying to find a suitable gap in the calendar for it.

"We'll see how it goes. We've only put the one in at this stage just to test it. Hopefully it'll be as well-supported in Ireland as some of the British contests have been.

"We thought if we were going to do it, we'd do it for good horses, maybe below the top class but who are struggling to carry big weights in handicaps. This gives them a chance against their own age group.

"We've looked through the handicap rating files and there does appear to be quite a number of horses that would be eligible for it.

"We appreciate that a lot of the younger more progressive horses will be off at Cheltenham that week. This is for ones that are probably not well enough handicapped to go to Cheltenham or in the first spring of youth. We'll decide if there is a demand for it going forward after we've tried this race in Wexford next week."

Michael Hourigan, who won the Status Quo Live – July 23rd Veterans' Handicap Chase at Doncaster in February 2009 with Church Island before that fellow went on to land a famous victory in the Bet 365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Sandown last April, is fully supportive of the move.

The Limerick trainer said: "They are a great idea – they don't have enough of them here. I think there was one in Roscommon a couple of years ago. I'll have two or three horses for next week I'd say. It's great for the older horses. I'll be supporting this one and more of them if and when they're on."

Eamonn Murphy