THE Irish Racehorse Trainers’ Association (IRTA) is seeking a series of changes to the country’s existing race programme, with Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) set to trial a new series for mid-tier horses, as part of an alternative solution to the cancelled restricted trainer races.

As part of the newest provisional summary published for National Hunt racing in Ireland from May 5th to August 29th, there are no races programmed for trainers who saddled 50 winners or less in either of the last two seasons - reaffirming HRI’s comments on the matter to The Irish Field from last November, in which it said it had “listened to concerns regarding the series”.

A National Hunt working group formed by the IRTA to address these issues has delivered a host of suggestions to the governing body, though, at this stage, the only tangible change seen in the latest HRI provisional summary is for a new series for horses rated 110 or less.

As part of a HRI trial, each handicap hurdle with a 110 rating bracket from the start of the new season will act as a qualifier for a €25,000 final at Killarney on July 17th over two and a half miles. The final has a benchmark of 120 and horses must have finished in the first four in a qualifier to be eligible, with winners getting first protection.

The IRTA group insisted a series of regular finals would create excellent betting races, with all runners having recent form to their name in what is hoped would be a decent-sized field. It’s understood HRI is set to monitor how well the trial final is supported, before any possibility of an expansion.

The trainers’ body also proposed introducing a National Hunt Incentive Bonus for trainers, riders and stable staff worth €120,000, though this has not featured in imminent race plans.

According to correspondence seen by The Irish Field, the IRTA suggested highlighting a varied selection of 60 or more races throughout the season and awarding points for a top-five finish to connections (e.g. - 10pts for a win, down to 1pt for fifth).

Crucially, trainers with 50 or more winners in either of the last two seasons would still be allowed to run in these races - but they would be ineligible for the bonus series prizes.

Funding required

The IRTA suggested a prize of €50,000 (said to be the equivalent of €730,000 gross prize money) for the top trainer in the series, €25,000 for second and €10,000 for third, with the top three riders (not including riders for yards ineligible) collecting €10,000, €5,000 and €2,500. The three leading stables in the Best Turned Out League (including all yards) would earn the same as the riders’ prizes.

It’s understood that HRI has a level of interest in seeing this series come to fruition, but funding and the requirement for a sponsor are key issues at present.

Changes to the maiden hurdle landscape were also put forward by the IRTA group. They suggested splitting maiden hurdles into different categories “to try to ensure horses of a comparable ability are competing with one another and horses can be competitive quicker”.

This would include a maiden bracket for horses who had not run over hurdles, separate maidens for horses with one to two completed runs over hurdles, as well as races for those with three or more completed hurdles starts (potentially with a ratings cap of 110/100 or less).

The body also touted the idea of a “small number of maiden hurdles for horses that have not run in point-to-points and don’t have the experience of a bumper run”.

The IRTA proposed moving the summer novice status period back to March 1st (currently February 1st) until the Fairyhouse Winter Festival, suggesting instead that the majority of maiden hurdles in February would be replaced by rated maiden hurdles or novice winners of one races (with the exception of mares and four-year-old-only maiden hurdles).

The issue of expensive private purchases managing to run in auction races was raised by the IRTA, while still acknowledging there is no “easy fix or catch all” to stopping the likes of private point-to-point buys exploiting such a “loophole”. This is said to be an area for future discussion with HRI.

Handicap focus

Converting some Grade 2 chases into handicaps could boost field sizes, increase competitiveness and help “a cohort of horses rated 145+ that are in ‘no man’s land’”, the IRTA group argued.

A race like the Red Mills Chase at Gowran, which had just three runners this year, was mentioned as a possible contest for reinvigorating by the group. The IRTA says owners should be rewarded for having a horse rated in the top 10% of the horse population and the programme “needs to have more realistic opportunities for these horses”.

The chance for a more formalised system surrounding floating races being programmed into the provisional summary was raised, potentially to alleviate “a bottleneck of horses looking for an opportunity” at certain times of the year.

A call was also noted from the IRTA for a reduction in the number of rated beginners’ chases and the introduction of new novice handicap chases, where horses rated up to 120 over hurdles can go straight into these novice handicaps at the discretion of the handicapper (once they have three or more handicap hurdle runs). As part of the group’s proposal, these horses could only run in open handicap chases at the discretion of the handicapper once they have completed in a novice handicap chase.

It’s believed HRI and the IHRB are already in the process of evaluating the various systems around novice chasers at this type of grade, with handicappers set to allow horses rated up to 110 to run straight in handicap chases from next season onwards.