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HRI publish revised list of major Flat races for 2020

Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial will take place at Leopardstown on June 9Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial will take place at Leopardstown on June 9
© Photo Healy Racing

Horse Racing Ireland today published the revised list of Group races, Listed races and Premier Handicaps for the Covid 19 impacted 2020 Flat racing season which includes an important change to the conditions of the Tattersalls Gold Cup. These are the most significant races which are pivotal to the breeding industry and sales catalogues.

The Tattersalls Gold Cup will now be run at the end of July and will offer a new Group 1 opportunity for horses aged three-years-old and up over 10 furlongs, filling a significant gap in the revised Pattern.

Today’s publication confirms that the full complement of Group races will be run through the year given their importance to the Irish breeding industry.

Racing resumes in Ireland behind closed doors on June 8 having missed 87 fixtures since March 24, and Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said:

“The revised list of Pattern races published today will see the many of them run on their original dates and under their typical conditions, though inevitably some have had date, race conditions and even venue changes to allow them fit into the new schedule.

“Apart from the three Group 1 races normally run on Guineas weekend, all other Group 1 races in Ireland will be run on their originally scheduled dates and venues.

“The two-year-old Group race programme will start about six weeks later than normal, in early July, but again the full complement of opportunities will be run between then and season end.

“2020 will be anything but a normal year, but in the circumstances, we have tried to preserve the opportunities which the Irish race programme offers to the better horse.”

See complete list HERE