Two Irish Races Promoted to Group 3
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) today announced a further strengthening of the Irish Flat Pattern race programme, having secured European Pattern Committee (EPC) approval for the promotion of two races from Listed to Group 3 status for 2008.
The two new Group 3 races (2008 dates shown) are:
- 29th June, Curragh, Richard H Faught Memorial, 5f, 3yo+.
- 16th July, Leopardstown, Silver Flash, 7f, 2yo Fillies.
Announcing these new upgrades, HRI Director of Racing Jason Morris said: “The promotion of these two races means that HRI has increased the number of Irish Flat Pattern races from 38 in 2002 to a record level of 59 in 2008, with the development of a better balanced programme of Black Type opportunities. In 2007 every Irish Group race achieved a Pattern Race rating above its required parameter, which we believe to be the first time that this has ever been achieved by any EPC country. It is testimony to the growing strength of our Flat horse population and reflects the success of HRI’s key strategic policy to encourage the production and retention of high quality horses in Ireland under both codes.”
Tom Burke, Leopardstown General Manager said: “We are delighted to have secured the promotion of the Silver Flash to Group 3 status. It is a key race for two-year-old fillies, having produced the last two winners of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, and fits perfectly into the calendar before the Group 2 Debutante. Leopardstown is looking forward with excitement to its longest and highest quality run of flat evening meetings in 2008, of which the promoted Silver Flash will form a major highlight.”
Paul Hensey, Curragh Manager, commented: “The upgrading of our five furlong sprint on Irish Derby Day is a further boost to what is already a very strong card. It is a race which has rated at the Group 3 level for all seven years since its inception in 2001 and has been won by some outstanding sprinters such as Benbaun and Dandy Man in recent years. We look forward to attracting a high quality international field for this promoted race in 2008 on Ireland’s premier flat racing day.”