THE Irish European Breeders’ Fund (EBF) announced a new record level of sponsorship on Tuesday, with Irish racing’s largest sponsor investing €3.1million in Irish prize money in 2025.

Additionally, the Irish EBF have committed €150,000 to Irish EBF named races in the UK and for retired racehorses through Treo Eile, bringing the overall amount to €3.25 million.

The most notable of this year’s new initiatives is the Smullen Series, a programme of 18 races aimed at middle-distance two and three-year-olds, featuring the inaugural Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes, a new two-year-old Listed race at Naas Racecourse in July.

At Tuesday’s launch, Irish EBF Chairman Joe Foley explained: “It’s grown from a three-year-old series of six races last year, and now it’s now going to have 12 two-year-old races this year, as well. The 18 races will all have a minimum €25,000 prize money.”

“We were all thrilled to come up with the idea of naming the whole series after Pat, and we’re very thankful to Francis and her family for allowing us to borrow Pat’s famous name to attach to this series.”

Crowley gives her blessing

Frances Crowley, wife of the late Pat Smullen, was present at the launch and said: “I’d say Pat would love to be involved in this. It’s lovely to have his name remembered. I know he will never be forgotten, but it’s lovely to keep his name out there.”

Tapping into her previous career as a trainer and current role running Brickfield Stud, Crowley added: “Everything comes from the prize money; it’s the one thing that keeps the wheel turning for every part of the industry.

“Certainly, as a small commercial stud, when you’re going to the sales with your foals, have to get a return. If you send your mare to a middle-distance stallion, I think this is going to really help you at the sales.

“Nobody can really understand why your foals and your yearlings by middle-distance sires make so a little and yet, as Ralph [Beckett, via video link] said, a year later, they are most valuable horses out there.”

Triple crown series

A new €40,000 nursery in August has been added to the Irish EBF’s sponsorship programme, with the intention of kicking off a “triple crown” of nurseries worth €120,000.

Foley explained that €4,000 yearling Smoke Them Out inspired the move, having won last year’s Auction Series Nursery at Cork in September, before going close in the Birdcatcher Premier Nursery at Naas in October.

In a further boost to the two-year-old programme, all Irish EBF-sponsored juvenile maidens at the Curragh and Leopardstown will each be worth a minimum of €20,000 in 2025, while their equivalents at other tracks will be run for a minimum of €18,000.

Event MC Kevin O’Ryan described Jessica Harrington as “the poster lady” for the €200,000 Gowran Classic, having won the inaugural running with Kirsten Rausing’s homebred Fleur De Chine. Tuesday’s birthday girl Harrington applauded the 2025 addition of a free Irish Oaks entry for the Gowran Classic, as well as the previous free entry to the Irish Derby.

Harrington also won last year’s €120,000 Auction Series Final with 27,000gns buy Fiona MacCoul, and on the series, she said: “It’s a great incentive for me, because we buy a lot of cheap, to middle-of-the-range yearlings, and it gives those horses a great chance in the median auctions and the auction races.

“You’re not always taking on the best-bred horses, and the fact now that those maidens are worth €20,000, and the other ones are worth €25,000, it really helps the owners. I just think they’re brilliant, because it spreads the pot around, and gives everybody a chance.”

Misguided criticism

The Irish EBF were previously announced as sponsors of HRI’s new Academy Hurdle Series, and on the mixed reception the initiative has received, Joe Foley commented: “Over the years, when we’ve started something new, you often get people sort of reacting negatively to them.

“For example, the Red Mills Auction Hurdle Series, we got a lot of criticism over that. There were people writing letters to The Irish Field and we had to meet with them all at Goffs one day to keep the rebels calm. The same people that came to that meeting, shouting and roaring and banging the tables, are now the biggest fans of the scheme and keep winning the prize money, etc.

“I think it’s a very bold initiative and we’re delighted to be the flagship sponsor of it. Obviously, there’s been some criticism, we’re very aware of that. Some of it, I think is misguided, but I think we’re getting there.”