THERE was both good and bad news for Irish flat racing in this week’s European Pattern Committee (EPC) reveal for 2024, with a Group 3 upgrade announced for Navan and a new listed race added to Gowran Park, but also downgrades of two other blacktype contests.

Navan’s 10-furlong Salsabil Stakes in April has been elevated from listed to Group 3 status - making it the track’s only group-level flat race in the calendar - while Gowran is set to stage a new listed race for three-year-olds over a mile and a half in late July.

The development has come as part of a conscious effort to boost the programme for young middle-distance horses in Ireland who are so often highly sought after to be sold abroad.

Meanwhile, Dundalk has lost one of its six group or listed races through the Listed Patton Stakes being stripped of its status. Last year’s renewal was won by the 107-rated Cairo, but the second and third were rated just 82 and 84 - the third running below the required parameter for maintaining its grade.

In addition, the Group 3 Gladness Stakes, run at the Curragh in April, has been downgraded to listed honours after three years below the necessary ratings.

Horse Racing Ireland’s race planning manager Shane Doyle told The Irish Field: “The Irish Pattern Committee has identified how strong the seven and eight furlong two-year-olds category is. That follows on to the 10-furlong three-year-olds. It’s an area that the Committee is keen to support, given the need to keep high-quality fillies in Ireland, and that’s part of where the Salsabil move has come from.

Gowran addition

“In terms of the Gowran race, part of the discussions we had last year with the trainers and Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association when giving our national response to the European Pattern Committee surrounded the aim of keeping our horses in Ireland for as long as possible. It’s going to be difficult to stem the tide of horses being sold to these emerging markets that place such a high value on middle-distance horses.

“We want to have a programme where a trainer can encourage the owner to keep the horse in training a bit longer for opportunities like this. This Gowran race will exclude Group 1 and 2 winners so it’ll be aimed potentially at spring maiden winners who could go on to be Leger horses.

“The trainer might encourage the owner not to sell yet, in the view that there could be a better profile to be earned by running in blacktype company. The breeders can also see the value to breeding these horses.”

A total of 42 pattern and listed races will be at risk of potential downgrade in 2025 depending on their performance in 2024, including five in Ireland.

Doyle said: “These races are currently on a warning: the [Group 3] Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown, the Balanchine Stakes at the Curragh [a Group 2 run as the Airlie Stud Stakes] and the [Group 3] Brownstown at Fairyhouse. They will all be automatic downgrades if they don’t operate at their necessary ratings this year.

“The Mooresbridge and Ridgewood Pearl Stakes, both Group 2s at the Curragh, would both go to vote if performing below the required levels. The Mooresbridge is only a pound behind where it needs to be so we’d make a strong case for maintaining that.”

No discussions have taken place around the scheduling of blacktype races at the new Tipperary all-weather track that recently was granted planning permission, the governing body also confirmed.