NH Provisional Summary released

Horse Racing Ireland today released the National Hunt Provisional Summary covering the 3rd October to the 31st December 2017 race programme.

The programme continues many of the new race types which have been successfully trialled through the summer National Hunt season, with the aim of assisting lower to medium tier horses.

A total of 380 races have been scheduled, with each fixture having one race worth at least €15,000 and most cards containing a feature event worth at least €20,000.

The enhancements to the existing programme include:

The Tattersalls Ireland/EBF Auction Maiden Series which encompasses six restricted maiden hurdles during the period, worth €20,000 per race.

These maiden hurdles are for four, five, six and seven-year-old geldings and mares that have been sold for €30,000 or less as a three or four-year-old in a recognised store sale in Ireland or the UK, and which have not won any race under rules or a point to point.

The first in the series takes place on 11th September during the Listowel Harvest Festival, with other races taking place at Gowran Park, Cork, Galway, Punchestown and Navan. This auction series is the first of its kind in Irish National Hunt Racing.

A further four maiden hurdles which are restricted to horses that have run three times without having been placed in the first three. These restricted maiden hurdles were first introduced over the summer months providing horses with the opportunity to be competitive in Weight-For-Age Company before progressing into handicaps.

An increase (from 12 to 16) in the number of Beginners and Novice Chases with a rating band restriction (limiting entry to horses with a hurdle or chase rating below a certain level which can vary from 102 to 130), so that they now comprise 33% (up from 25%) of the overall non-Graded opportunities (49) in this category. Most weeks will see at least one such race is programmed in order to provide more opportunities for middle to lower tier horses to compete over fences in their own grade.

Mares-only races have been increased by 5% compared to the corresponding period last year, bringing the total number of such races to 42.

Commenting on these initiatives, Jason Morris, Director of Racing, said:

“HRI are continuing with this series of race planning initiatives following on from their successful introduction over the summer months. It has been pleasing to see the upturn in National Hunt racing so far this year. To the end of August (29th), the average entry in NH races has increased from 21.9 to 23.0, while the average field size has risen from 11.2 to 11.7 runners per race. The measures are designed to provide more competitive options for middle to lower tier horses and to ease their progression through the system in National Hunt racing. They form an important part of a balanced race programme within which HRI has always placed an emphasis on quality, ensuring that at least 10% of races under both codes offer Black Type in Ireland.”