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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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Scandinavian star Square De Luynes is on course for a crack at the Group 3 Neom Turf Cup at the glittering Saudi Cup meeting.

Nicknamed “Frankel of the Fjords” by his adoring fans, the three-time winner of the prestigious Stockholm Cup International is being prepared in Dubai for the $1.5million contest over 2100 meters (1 5/16 miles) on Saturday, Feb. 26 by trainer Niels Petersen.

The 7-year-old could be joined by stablemates Kick On and King David at The Saudi Cup meeting, who are both being aimed at the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap on Friday, Feb. 25– a race restricted to horses trained in IFHA-registered Part II and III racing countries, like Norway.

There is no doubt Square De Luynes is the star of the trainer's potential Saudi raiding party and Petersen, a Dane based in Norway, said: “Square De Luynes is the best horse in Scandinavia – by the figures, by his performances, by everything. He's the star of the show here – he's such a popular horse.

“He's got a high cruising speed. He can run over anything from 1800m to 2400m and he's as good on soft ground as he is on fast. He can also go from the front or come from behind, it doesn't matter. He beat the track record at Ovrevoll by a good margin over 1800m in August after 11 months off the track.

“I think the track in Saudi will suit him – left-handed, two bends, it should be spot on – and the 2100m distance should be ideal. That's why we are targeting The Saudi Cup meeting. Looking at last year's Neom Turf Cup, he should be good enough and he's so well in himself.”

It had been Petersen's plan to run Square De Luynes, among others, at last year's Saudi Cup meeting, but the harsh Norwegian winter threw a spanner in the works.

This time he was able to ship a select team to Dubai. The horses have been in the UAE several weeks and all three of Petersen's Saudi hopes will have prep-runs at Meydan.

He revealed: “We've been lucky with the weather in Norway this year as we've been able to train them up until we left so that's a big plus. Normally we get a lot of rain in the autumn. When that happens and it freezes you lose everything as the track turns to concrete.

“This year it just turned cold and they were able to get a lot of salt on the track. They also put a lot of new sand down so we could work horses on it – you couldn't race on it but you could do a good canter. It meant we could maintain the horses' fitness which we've been unable to do in other years.

“That's why we couldn't go to Saudi last year. There was no point as it was a hard winter here and the horses lost too much of their condition. You don't take chances with these horses – you need to do it right.”

Square De Luynes is owned by the Stall Power Girls – a syndicate made up of some of his owners' wives, including Petersen's own wife. Their distinctive pink colors will certainly stand out on Saudi Cup day.

They have had to be patient as Square De Luynes has suffered with foot problems and ambitious Petersen is taking no chances as he prepares his stable star for a race he hopes will help propel him on to racing's world stage.

He said: “We have to look after him. He's had big issues with his feet – he cracked his hoof in two. You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it. I've got a very good farrier and he's going to fly out to shoe him in Dubai and Saudi. There's so much work that goes into these good horses.

“Pat Cosgrave knows him now and that's why we fly him out to ride him all the time. We don't want to be changing jockeys. You need to know him a little bit. When we're racing in Scandinavia we're in our backyard and we know what we're doing. It's different to go abroad with him.

“Pat has got great belief in Square De Luynes. He says he is a proper Group 2 horse and maybe even a bit more. He's confident he's a horse that will take us worldwide, but he does need to prove it.

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“We've had good horses before but to measure up on the international stage is a little bit different. I do think this fella is the guy that can take us there.

“It's no big secret that I'm maybe looking a little bit to get out of Scandinavia in years to come. I've done so much here and I've been champion I don't know how many years. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for that and it's been brilliant, but you come to a point when you want to achieve more.”

When Square De Luynes won the Group 3 Marit Sveaas Minnelop at Ovrevoll in August, his stablemates Kick On and King David filled the places.

Kick On had won that 1800m contest the previous year having joined Petersen from British trainer John Gosden. He was considered a top-class prospect when he won the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket in 2019 before finishing seventh behind Magna Grecia in the 2000 Guineas.

Now he will join Denmark-bred King David in being aimed at the $500,000 Saudi International Handicap.

Petersen said: “Last year Kick On won four races in a row including the big Group 3 and he's had a good season this year. He's a proven performer at the level. We've got him to relax in behind and finish his races. He's been a super horse and he's good enough to be very competitive.

“King David had a little bit of an off time after joining me from another trainer, but we got him back up to his level this year and he's been very good.

“I think both of them will be suited by the race and you're not meeting the best horses from the main racing countries so it's a little less competitive. The International Handicap obviously has some conditions which we benefit from.

“What they're doing with The Saudi Cup is great. For me it will be a big achievement just to be there to take part. These are the places we want to be and it's not very often you have horses coming out of Scandinavia good enough to do that. It fits in with my ambitions.”

Entries close for all international races at The Saudi Cup meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

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