Why introduce three-year-old NH Academy Hurdle races?

There is considerable evidence pointing towards the benefits of starting young NH horses earlier including performing to a higher level and elongating their career.

For many years there has been a three-year-old maiden hurdle programme in Ireland but engagement from NH-bred horses has been very low, so a new initiative is required to encourage NH owners to take this route.

They will also provide a valuable outlet for many store horses who may not currently be fitting the requirement of many store purchasers.

Why is maiden status for winners of Academy Hurdles being retained for these races?

There has been minimal engagement with the existing three-year-old maiden hurdle races from NH-bred horses to date. A new initiative is required to change behaviour.

Introducing Irish NH horses to training earlier is central to this idea, but not at the cost of them being encouraged to progress too quickly if winning. This mechanism provides for that environment.

The Irish system currently has an effective programme for NH horses from January 1st of their four-year-old year. Rather than endeavouring to create a programme for a small number of three-year-old Academy Hurdle winners in the opening years, it is considered more appropriate to allow them to move seamlessly into the suite of races which already exists for developing young NH horses via the bumper or maiden hurdle route.

This ensures the best possible supply for existing bumpers and maiden hurdles rather than creating a new race type for these winners given how few there may be in early years.

If Academy Hurdle winners lost their maiden status they would be precluded from bumpers and maiden hurdles and have significantly restricted spring festival opportunities available to them. They would have to step immediately into winners/Graded company against far more experienced rivals whilst there would also be a risk that connections would be encouraged to rush them in this instance to compete at spring festivals which is not the logic behind the initiative.

Academy Hurdle winners will be easier to place once they run/win in these races as the existing suite of races from January 1st will remain for them and is well understood by owners and trainers alike.

For pinhookers or breeders who wish to sell their horses retaining maiden status, this increases opportunities and thus the likely value of the horse.

Why are these races not restricted to IRE horses?

There is a large amount of data which illustrates that the FR horse has only been outperforming the IRE horse when starting earlier in their career. Following extensive research of like-for-like comparisons, where FR horses were compared to IRE horses via store sales or point-to-points, there was no meaningful difference between the two. In much analysis the IRE-bred performed marginally best.

In consultation with breeders, it was considered prudent to allow these races to have the maximum possible credibility from the outset and this is taken in the knowledge that the IRE-bred should be able to compete comfortably with any counterpart given the same opportunity. To exclude the FR bred would signal that IRE was a lesser product and needed support whereas the data points to the FR and IRE being comparable once entering training at the same age.

Will flat horses who have not had a run not dominate these races?

Research shows that flat bred horses which remain unraced at the end of their three-year-old year do not perform well in three-year-old hurdle races.

Flat-bred horses who are still unraced at this time may become NH horses, and provide a supply into the NH system which would be welcome.

A premium will be placed on jumping in these races via race distances and hurdle positions where possible.

What are the advantages of starting horses over hurdles aged three?

NH horses who start younger are not only performing to a higher level but for longer in their career. This has a benefit to the connections of the horse and also to the animal itself. IRE breeders stand to benefit from better performances from Irish-bred horses.

It may well provide an outlet for horses at store sales which are currently not fashionable in the point-to-point sector.

Providing a route for many more young NH horses could see horses dispersed more evenly around the country to a wider spread of trainers.

Breeders who wish to bring a horse to sales could be able to produce a two-year-old store rather than a three-year-old store, thus reducing the cost to produce the horse to sales.

Purchasers of stores should benefit from the lower cost of animal now being offered for sale one year sooner, and therefore prospective owners encounter one year less of cost.

Breeders who can now view their stock racing a year early can make a more informed decision quicker around the covering they wish to choose for their mare, whilst stallions in the NH sphere can also be assessed earlier.

For horses who win these races and wish to move smoothly and gradually through their career they can slot into the existing NH system in Ireland via bumpers or maiden hurdles thus not rushing their career.

For precocious horses who enter racing aged three and are capable of running to a very high level, there is an existing blacktype programme for them, culminating in Grade 1 races such as the Champion 4YO Hurdle at Punchestown and the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.