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Italy's major races will see the most significant downgrades among European countries after the European Pattern Committee announced alterations to the 2023 Flat programme Wednesday, as a host of that country's major races are set to be demoted in status.

There will be 827 black-type races run in Europe this year, compared to the 852 in 2022, while group races have been cut by 13 to 412 and listed races drop to 415 from 427.

One of the most significant changes to the Irish programme comes in the case of the seven-furlong 2000 Guineas Trial, run at Leopardstown in April, being upgraded to a Group 3 from listed status. Ireland will also stage a new listed race for fillies and mares aged three years and older over eight furlongs at Navan in June.

Germany will stage two new listed races in 2023, both with a view to strengthening the stayers' black-type programme in that country. The first will be a race for 3-year-olds and older over 3000m at Hannover in July and the other will be a race for 2-year-olds over a distance of 2000m, also at Hannover, and scheduled for October.

However, the Italian racing programme has largely been downgraded, with the G2 Milano and G2 Federico Tesio, changed to Group 3s while the G3 Tudini, G3 Umbria and G3 Sergio Cumani all demoted to listed events.

Speaking about the changes, Jason Morris, the Chairman of the European Pattern Committee, said, “2023 will see a significant reduction in the number of Flat group and listed races staged within Europe, with 25 less black-type races to be staged overall. This reflects the voluntary downgrades that Britain has already announced for this year to aid the competitiveness of their Pattern race programme as part of an ongoing strategic review.

“Downgrades were also applied by the European Pattern Committee to a number of Group 2, Group 3 and listed races under ground rules which strictly enforce the highest standards of international quality control with underperforming races facing automatic demotion.

“At the same time the committee remains keen to encourage the development of the sport in the smaller racing jurisdictions throughout Europe, and Poland will now become the 11th country with a black-type race in 2023 (Britain, France, Germany and Ireland are full EPC members; Italy, Scandinavia (representing Denmark, Norway and Sweden) and Turkey are associate members; while Spain and Poland are emerging nations with one listed race each).”

Boost for Polish and Swedish Programme

While the Italian fixture list has been hit with a number of downgrades, the Eastern European programme in Poland and the Scandinavian division in Sweden has been boosted by a number of upgrades.

Sweden will stage a new black-type race in 2023, with the Challenge S. at Bro Park over seven furlongs for 3-year-olds and older being upgraded to listed status.

The EPC also agreed to upgrade Poland's flagship race, the Wielka Warszawska, to listed status as part of the committee's support of the emerging racing nations in the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation. The race will be run at Sluzewiec in Warsaw on the first Sunday of October, over a distance of 2600m for 3-year-olds and older.

Other changes were some alterations in dates for notable Pattern races in Europe in 2023. In France, the G1 Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp will move from late May to the Poule d'Essai fixture on May 14. The G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud will move back by a week to Saint Cloud's evening fixture on July 8.

In Ireland, the G2 Curragh Cup will move from the Irish Derby weekend in late June to the Irish Oaks weekend on 22 July.

Across Europe, a total of 11 Pattern races have been downgraded in 2023, with a further eight listed races losing that status.

Meanwhile, as previously announced earlier this year, Britain took the decision to voluntarily downgrade 11 black-type (three Pattern races and eight listed races) for 2023, as part of a wider–and ongoing–strategic review of the Pattern and listed programme. A total of 48 Pattern and listed races will be at risk of potential downgrade in 2024 depending on their performance this year.

The full list of changes made to the European programme are as follows:

France

G2 Greffulhe downgraded to Group 3
G2 Hocquart downgraded to Group 3

Germany

G2 Badener Meile downgraded to Group 3
G3 Von Lotto Hamburg downgraded to listed
Listed Grosser Preis Von Meravis loses listed status
Listed Grosser Preis der Sparkasse Hannover loses listed status
Listed Sparkassenpreis loses listed status
Listed Dusseldorfer Stutenpreis loses listed status

Ireland

G2 Kilboy Estate downgraded to Group 3
G3 Concorde downgraded to listed

Italy

G2 Milano downgraded to Group 3
G2 Federico Tesio downgraded to Group 3
G3 Tudini downgraded to listed
G3 Sergio Cumani downgraded to listed
G3 Umbria downgraded to listed
Listed Criterium Nazionale loses listed status
Listed Gardone loses listed status
Listed Bersaglio loses listed status
Listed Unire loses listed status

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Leading Scandinavian trainer Marc Stott is fighting to save his career after being hit with a four-year ban.

Stott, older brother of Royal Ascot-winning jockey Kevin Stott, had to cease training with immediate effect and disband his stable over offences involving the use of Duphalyte, a combination of vitamins and electrolytes. While not a banned substance, Duphalyte is not allowed on raceday.

Stott has admitted administering the substance to two horses within the recommended 96-hour withdrawal time by mistake. However, the Scandinavian Doping Committee ruled these were “repeated and systematic” offences and recommended a four-year exclusion which was duly imposed last month by the Danish regulator, Dansk Galop.

Neither of the horses involved, both of whom are no longer in training, tested positive in a case that dates back to 2018.

“I was very stunned and upset when I found out about this,” said Stott, 34. “I didn't understand why and how they came to this decision.

“I think what they have done is very harsh,” he went on. “I made a mistake but the doping committee reckoned it was something I would do all the time and it wasn't a mistake, which is not the case.

“I thought I would get a fine. I am going to appeal the case and somehow try to change this. It's harsh that I have had to pay such a price.”

Stott's English father Ken Stott rode all over Europe as a jockey before settling in Denmark, where Marc has become one of the most successful trainers in the country from a base in Aarhus. He has won many of the Classics staged in Denmark, Sweden and Norway; he also trained a G3 winner in Germany last year.

Marc Stott believes the case against him was brought using veterinary bills provided by a disgruntled former owner. It was not heard by Dansk Galop but instead put before the Scandinavian Doping Committee, which sits in Sweden.

In a press release the Danish Jockey Club said the committee had found the case proven.

“The offences consist of repeated and systematic violations of the applicable waiting period for treatment with Duphalyte (liquid with vitamins and electrolytes given as drops), where the waiting time is 96 hours,” it said.

In a second statement, the Jockey Club added: “The case concerns partly illegal medication and partly violations of the current waiting period for treatment.

“Furthermore, there are repeated offences. Everyone in the sport regrets this unfortunate case, which we hope will be proof that we in every way must work on having a completely clean sport.”

Stott said: “A lot of people think this is about doping, but it's not. Duphalyte is vitamins and the systematic part of it is not true. I haven't had one horse ever test positive for anything since I started training in 2013.

“Apparently they had a bill from the owner that he handed in to the Jockey Club where it says the horses had this, and when they got it,” he added. “Some of it is a mistake and some is not, because it has been used while factoring in the 96 hours.

“That's why I am going to appeal and hope they understand that that is not the way I work.”

Stott claimed news of the ban had come virtually out of the blue. “Dansk Galop approached me in the middle of the summer and had a chat with me, and then I didn't hear anymore,” he claimed.

“Then five months later I got a call on a Friday night and they told me I had a suspension. I had nobody to represent me. I was told the verdict and that was it.

“I can only say I am sorry,” Stott added. “They were a couple of juvenile mistakes but the other things aren't true. It's very harsh; I've never been in any trouble before. The horses have been tested regularly and they've never found anything.

“I just hope people will understand my side of things so it won't have any effect on my future career because I love what I'm doing. Horses are my life and I am good at it.”

Dansk Galop chairman Nick Elsass said: “The Danish Jockey Club CEO has come up with this verdict and now Marc is appealing. Within two weeks he has to tell the Jockey Club whether he wants to appeal and he has confirmed he is going to.

“Then he has another 30 days to explain why he is appealing, for what reasons and what it is he is contesting. Then the appeal court will be set. Marc can have legal representation and call witnesses. We have advised Marc to bring someone who can present his case.

“It is a very professionally done procedure. There will be at least four people in the appeal court, one of which will be someone with formal legal training.”

Elsass added: “We are very sad about this story because Marc has now been punished and Marc is a very gifted horseman. You don't train horses like he has trained to win Derbys and other big races in Scandinavia if you're not. Therefore it's double harsh that we will lose him at least for a number of years because of this.”

This story was originally published on Horse Racing Planet and is reprinted here with permission. Find more content like this at HorseRacingPlanet.com.

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