HORSE Racing Ireland is prepared to develop a programme of bumpers and hurdles for three-year-old National Hunt horses if that is what the industry wants.

The topic of starting to break-in and race jump-bred horses earlier in their careers – as they do in France - was to the fore at this week’s National Hunt seminar in Leighlinbridge.

Speakers Richard Pugh and Anthony Bromley were particularly vocal in stressing the need to change the Irish jump racing programme and encourage breeders, vendors and trainers to produce ‘store’ horses who can race over jumps towards the end of their third year, rather than waiting until they have turned four or even five.

Asked to comment on the subject, Horse Racing Ireland’s bloodstock develoment manager Shane Doyle said: “We’re open to this idea, though it is always best to start these initiatives in a small way and work up as demand increases. That is what we did with mares’ races and that has been proved successful.”

Doyle said the concept of three-year-old bumpers has been discussed by HRI in the past “but there was not much enthusiasm for it among the various race programming groups, who felt the races could end up primarily being for the benefit of late-maturing flat horses rather than National Hunt-breds.”

However, one possibility would be to restrict these new races to horses by stallions who have progeny sold at the recognised store sales (auction bumpers and hurdles are confined to horses from these sales) or you could explore “National Hunt median auction races” similar to the flat using the results of these store sales which would allow horses which have not been able to make it to a sale or home bred fillies breeders wanted to try on the course themselves the opportunity to partake.

Without wishing to pre-empt the wishes of HRI’s Programmes Committee, Doyle suggested that it would not be difficult to start the process by, for example, creating a three-year-old bumper of higher value than a normal bumper at one of the Christmas Festivals this year and looking to expand it ealrier once the number of 2yo stores sold increased and more horses would be available for such races.

“We will be consulting with industry stakeholders on this, and it would be small steps at first, but you could also look at having a number of three-year-old hurdles in Autumn or in the Spring for 4yos for National Hunt bred horses where they would not have to compete against horses with flat experience,” he said. “They already have a small number of similar type races in Britain and the feeling in the hall on Wednesday was that they could work better in Ireland, where the trainers would have the option of availing of schooling races for these horses prior to running in them.”

Sales companies would also play a vital role, Doyle added.

Goffs CEO Henry Beeby said: “We already sell two-year-old stores at our Yorton Sale and we had a two-year-old store section at Doncaster last year. It’s something we are constantly talking about at Goffs but it is reliant on there being a programme of races for three-year-old National Hunt horses in Britain and Ireland. Until that happens I don’t see there being a huge development. We would certainly encourage Horse Racing Ireland and the British Horseracing Authority to develop a programme.”

Simon Kerins, CEO of Tattersalls Ireland, commented: “We have had two-year-old sections in the Derby Sale and, I think, in an August Sale, but they never took off as we had hoped. However, this now seems to be the direction of travel and I can envisage it happening.

“As Anthony Bromley said this week, owners today don’t want to wait too long to race as training fees are expensive. Some 25 years ago it was not uncommon for horses not to debut until they were five or even six. Now most stores race at four, so the industry has adapted before and can do so again. If this is what the market wants then we will accommodate it.”