Tag: Shared News Europe

Saint-Alary Loses G1 Tag as Europe Drops 12 Stakes Races

Twelve fewer black-type races will be run in Europe in 2024 following the approval of the programme by the European Pattern Committee (EPC) which sounded a note of caution regarding “the reported increasing exports of quality horses overseas”.

France's Prix Saint-Alary will has been downgraded from Group 1 to Group 2 status and is one of five Group races to have been demoted, while Britain's G3 Sovereign S., traditionally run at Salisbury, will not be staged.

In Ireland, the Salsabil S. has been upgraded from a Listed race to a Group 3, and a new Listed contest has been introduced at Gowran Park in late July, which is to be run over 12 furlongs and is for three-year-olds only.

Denmark is to stage a new black-type race after Klampenborg's Golden Mile for three-years-olds was upgraded to Listed status.

The EPC ratified a total of 826 black-type races, down from 838 in 2023, comprising 415 Group races (418 in 2023) and 411 Listed races (420). 

 EPC chair Jason Morris said, “This year will see another contraction in the number of Pattern and Listed races to be staged throughout Europe, with the total number having declined from 852 races in 2022 to 826 in 2024. The European Pattern Committee continues to enforce the most stringent international quality control measures so that the racing and breeding industries can have the utmost confidence in the quality of European black type. 

“However, this also reflects a worrying overall decline in the ratings of European black-type races, with an increasing number of races coming under review and many three-year-old races in particular struggling to achieve their required parameters. The reported increasing exports of quality horses overseas is of concern to the EPC, and the major European racing nations are committed to working together to ensure the continued production and retention of sufficient high-class horses to sustain our domestic and international programmes, with a particular focus on the middle distance and staying race areas.”

Downgraded Races for 2024

France

•    Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary downgraded to Group 2

Germany

•    Listed Grosser Preis von Rossman loses Listed status

•    Listed Grosser Preis der VGH Versicherungen loses Listed status

•    Listed Bwin Sommerpreis loses Listed status

Ireland

•    Group 3 Gladness downgraded to Listed

•    Listed Patton loses Listed status

Italy

•    Group 2 Premio Presidente della Repubblica downgraded to Group 3

•    Group 3 Premio Carlo d'Alessio downgraded to Listed

•    Listed Pisa loses Listed status 

•    Listed Regione Toscana loses Listed status

•    Listed Emanuele Filiberto loses Listed status

•    Listed Tadolina loses Listed status

•    Listed Criterium Varesino Mem Virginio Curti loses Listed status

•    Listed M.Se Ippolito Fassati di Balzola loses Listed status

Sweden

•    Listed Jagersro Sprint loses Listed status

Turkey

•    Group 2 Bosphorus Cup downgraded to Group 3

There have also been some adjustments to notable Pattern races. In France, the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud will move one week earlier, reverting to its traditional slot at Saint-Cloud's fixture on June 30, as will the G2 Prix Eugene Adam. Saint-Cloud has also gained the G1 Prix Royal-Oak from ParisLongchamp.

Both German Guineas will be run nine days earlier, with the G2 German 2000 Guineas scheduled for May 20 and the G2 German 1000 Guineas to be run on May 26. The G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft will be pushed back to June 2.

In Britain, there have been alterations to the race conditions for two black-type juvenile races. For the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, horses will no longer be eligible to qualify via their dam's performance. The race reverts to a stallion-only qualification, as was the case prior to 2019. The horse's sire must have won over at least 10 furlongs. In the G3 Acomb S., the win restriction has been removed from the race conditions to boost the potential pool of eligible horses. 

There will also be two changes to race titles in Britain in 2024: Haydock's G3 Pinnacle S. will be renamed as the Lester Piggott S., and the Listed Ben Marshall S. at Nottingham will become the Robin Hood S.

'At Risk' Races for 2025

 A total of 42 Pattern and Listed races have been classified as at risk of a potential downgrade in 2025, including the G1 Commonwealth Cup, run over six furlongs for three-year-olds only at Royal Ascot.  The breakdown by country is as follows:

Britain – 3
France – 6
Germany – 7
Ireland – 5
Italy – 20
Turkey – 1

Britain's Dismay at Group 1 Veto 

In Britain, “notable increases to minimum values” have been announced for Pattern and Listed races, while the ongoing strategic review of the programme has led to the voluntary deletion of three black-type races for 2024 – the G3 Sovereign S., York's Listed Ganton S. and the Listed Scarborough S., which is run at Doncaster. This follows the removal of 11 Group 3 and Listed races in 2023.

The BHA Flat Pattern Committee had sought upgrades to Group 1 status for the City Of York S. at the Ebor Festival and the Long Distance Cup on British Champions Day, both of which were turned down by the EPC.

“After more than a decade of building towards Britain's first 7f Group 1 in the City Of York Stakes, with the open encouragement of the EPC, the race achieved the required rating parameter in 2023,” said Ruth Quinn, the BHA's director of international racing and development.

“Sadly, however, it seemed the committee could not support this upgrade unanimously at this time. We remain hopeful of working with the committee to demonstrate why our ambition would be of collective benefit to the European Pattern, in the same way as we will for the Long Distance Cup on QIPCO's British Champions Day in order for that too to become a long-awaited and much-deserved Group 1 race.”

She continued, “We in Britain continue to believe that European racing is stronger on the worldwide stage when we work together.

“The Pattern Committees have much to contribute within the wider strategy for the sport, particularly in terms of incentivising the continued production and retention of sufficient high-class horses to uphold our place on the international stage. The particular focus on the middle-distance and staying horses must continue – an area which the FPC has helped champion for some time as has been highlighted in the past.

“Our Pattern remains strong, but there are some distinct signs of fraying in certain areas and the industry needs to address these with some urgency.”

As already noted, the G1 Commonwealth Cup has been placed on the watch list for a potential downgrade, depending on its performance this year, along with the G2 Temple S. at Haydock Park and the G3 Chester Vase.

France Frustrated by Saint-Alary Demotion

Despite its move forward in the calendar last year to “Poules d'Essai Sunday”,  which brought about an upturn in the number of runners to 10 from six the previous year, the Prix Saint-Alary obtained a rating of just 107.75 in 2023. From 2021 to 2023 its average was 108.42, which is below the required rating of 111 for a Group 1 for three-year-old fillies.

In a press release from France Galop, deputy managing director Henri Pouret said, “The demotion of the Prix Saint-Alary to Group 2 is particularly frustrating but it falls within the framework of the quality control rules established by the EPC. This event should lead us to reflect broadly on the subject of Listed and Group races which have not reached the required level in recent years. To this end, the President of France Galop, Guillaume de Saint-Seine, recently decided to create a specific Committee for French Group and Listed races.”

 

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Davy Russell: ‘Nothing Has Made Me More Nervous Than Dancing With The Stars’

Legendary jumps jockey Davy Russell says he hasn't thought about emulating Nina Carberry's achievements in flying the flag for racing by winning Ireland's version of Dancing With The Stars and revealed that riding in the Grand National or the Gold Cup does not compare to the nerves that come with competing on the show. 

Russell, who bowed out from the saddle in December 2022 before briefly returning to race-riding for his long-time ally Gordon Elliott after Jack Kennedy broke his leg the following January, has heaped praise on his dancing coach Kylee Vincent. 

He explained, “I've a brilliant teacher in Kylee. She has an outstanding way of coaxing me into being able to do the dances. I have no step now. I couldn't dance a step if my life depended on it before the show. It's amazing how my coach can turn somebody like me around within the space of a week to be somewhat reasonable at dancing. A lot of the credit goes to her.”

Carberry, widely considered one of the greatest amateur riders of all time, famously won the competition in 2022 after hanging up her saddle four years previously. Russell explained that, while he consulted Carberry before accepting the invitation to take part in the competition, nothing could have prepared him for the amount of work that goes into preparing for each live show. 

He said, “Nina was obviously very supportive of me because not only did she do it but she also won it. The rest of the lads were laughing at me. They thought it would be great craic of a Sunday evening watching me go and make an eejit of myself on National television. 

Thankfully, it's gone the other way around. Now they are tuning in on the Sunday night to see how I get on and to support me. But come here, I was on the same page as them when I started-I'm pleasantly surprised by how it's going but the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes is phenomenal.”

What's making Russell's progression on the reality television series all the more impressive is that the Cork native is balancing practicing along with raising a young family and tending to over 50 horses on his farm.

However, Russell admitted to being put to the pin of his collar at present and is desperately seeking a full-time worker to help out at the burgeoning National Hunt breeding and pinhooking operation.

“It's very hard at the moment,” he said. “I have great help at home but it's not easy. This week took its toll because Edelle [Russell's wife] was away and I am down a member of staff on the farm. I'm actually in dire need of somebody coming on board. 

“We've 15 broodmares on the farm. All of them bar one are National Hunt-bred. On top of the 15 mares, we have their progeny coming through-foals, yearlings, two-year-olds and three-year-olds so we've well over 50 horses here. It's a full-time job in itself.”

He added, “I had somebody working with me and they let me down. It seems to be a common theme in the industry at the moment. Nobody seems to have any regard for anyone and staff seem to just jump around. It's very hard to get somebody to stay in the one place. That's my experience anyway. I would love if somebody came to me and wanted to get involved in the place. Whether that was buying into a mare or pinhooking foals along with working here full-time, I don't know. I'd be open to whatever. Like, if I was getting a few quid on something, I'd love to see the person working for me get a few quid as well. So, I'm open to anything really.”

Russell's Whitebarn Stud has enjoyed some decent paydays in recent times but few will top last year's result at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale when a Cima de Triomphe (Ire) gelding who was bought for just €5,500 on behalf of his kids rocked into €54,000 at the premier store sale. 

He reflected, “I had a great year. A lot of that would be down to Peter Vaughan of Moanmore Stables. I do a lot of work with Peter. My kids had an excellent year as well. They sold a Cima de Triomphe gelding for €54,000. They started off with two cows and we put them in calf. Out of that, Peter bought them a yearling and they sold him and got a few quid but nothing major, just a couple of grand profit. I gave €5,500 for the Cima de Triomphe horse for them in Osarus in France and then they got €54,000 for him at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale last year so they were over the moon with that.”

Russell has also dipped his toe in the breeze-up game from time to time through his association with the Vaughans but it was a certain Siyouni (Fr) filly by the name of Expressiy (Fr) who gave him one of his most memorable results in that sphere back in 2017 when selling for €260,000 at Arqana. 

“I am involved in the breeze-ups but my involvement doesn't extend beyond being an investor. Peter and Patrick Vaughan do all the work with the breeze-up horses. We bought a Bolt d'Oro horse in America last year and he seems to be going quite well. I had a lovely Not This Time horse last year but we just about wiped our nose with him at the Dubai Breeze-Up Sale.”

He added, “It's very funny actually, I got a great touch with a Siyouni filly at Arqana a few years ago. I was heading out for a beginners' chase on a 10-1 shot at Kilbeggan as the filly was going through the ring. Lorcan Wyer [clerk of the course] was telling me to get a move on but, as this filly was rocking into €200,000, I told him I wasn't going anywhere. 

“She made €260,000 in the end. I had her with John Cullinan and I really enjoyed the experience. The filly [Expressiy] turned out to be okay, too, as she went and got black-type for Godolphin. I got down to post in time for the beginners' chase on Burndown (Ire) (Presenting {Ire}) and, while he could only finish third, it ended up being an enjoyable day!”

The decorated rider, who partnered his first winner 25 years ago and will forever be associated with horses like Tiger Roll, Weapon's Amnesty and more, can be backed at 10-1 to win the competition outright. However, the aim is a simple one heading into this Sunday's performance: don't mess up. 

“I just don't want to f*** up,” Russell said. “I built my career on that mindset. I used to go to Cheltenham with one thing on my mind and that was to not f*** up. The only way of doing that is by putting in the work but it's a lot of work to do. 

“I have an awful problem learning the steps and then, when I learn the steps, I then have to put it to music and then you have to have your facial expressions ready as well. To do all of that in six days and then to walk out live on television and bang, get it out in one go, it's not easy.”

He added, “All of my life, nothing ever made me nervous. Riding any horse in any of those big races never made me nervous. But the show two weeks ago, I have never felt nerves like that. I was shaking like a leaf. Maybe it was stepping into the unknown that made me nervous, I don't know. Thankfully this week was a bit more comfortable and I am starting to enjoy it now.”

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Brave Emperor Returns to Action in Qatar

The multiple Group winner Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation) will attempt to conquer another frontier with his first run in Qatar at the weekend.

Having won races in Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as picking up prize-money and black type in Sweden, the Middleham Park Racing representative will make his four-year-old debut in Doha in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup at the Amir Sword meeting on Saturday, in a race worth more than £225,000 to the winner.

Trained by Archie Watson, Brave Emperor has now won nine of his 15 starts, including the G2 Premio Vittoria di Capua as well as two Group 3 races in Germany and the G3 Prix Daphnis in Deauville. 

Middleham Park Racing's Tim Palin said, “He's the second top-rated for the race, he definitely deserves his chance and it's fantastic prize-money.

“It's going to be the experience of a lifetime for the half a dozen owners going over. They've tasted success in Milan and Sweden, twice in Germany and in France as well.”

Bred by Caroline Hanly and Sean Ronan from the Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) mare Roman Gal (Ire), Brave Emperor was bought as a yearling at Goffs UK by Robson Aguiar for £19,000. He is one of three Group 2 winners for his sire Sioux Nation and his top scorer by number of wins and prize-money earned in Europe, with a total haul of £321,288. Sioux Nation is also responsible for Helene Feeling (Ire), who has added four wins in Hong Kong to his two in Britain (under the name of Indian Dream) and now has earnings in excess of £1 million.

Palin added of Brave Emperor, “We bought him privately as a two-year-old just before the breeze-ups. He's been an absolute revelation for us and everybody has experienced a fantastic journey with him. Hopefully he'll continue to acquit himself well on Saturday.”

 

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Baker Aims for St Moritz Success With American Ownership Group

George Baker is set to saddle two runners in the Grosser Preis von St Moritz–the feature race on the final day of the White Turf meeting at St Moritz on Sunday, Feb. 18–including Cumulonimbus (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who will be having just his second start for the trainer and a new American ownership group which includes Kentucky Derby-winning owner Ramiro Restrepo.

The jet-setting Baker will fly to Switzerland from Bahrain after supervising his team of runners at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club on Friday, Feb. 16, headed by recent Turf Series winner Lucander (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) when he lines up in the His Highness Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup.

Baker, who memorably won the 2020 running of the Grosser Preis von St Moritz with Wargrave (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), is excited to return to the White Turf meeting on Sunday when Cemhaan (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) joins Cumulonimbus in a two-pronged attack on the race.

“St Moritz has been a part of our racing plans for many years,” said Baker. “We won with a horse called Ancient Greece around 10 years ago. He won at all three race meetings on the White Turf which was the first time any horse had ever done that.

“We then went back a few years ago with Wargrave who managed to win the Grosser Preis von St Moritz, which was a great thrill. It's always been on our radar and going back with two horses is exciting.”

Going on to talk about the ownership group involved in Cumulonimbus, Baker said, “Cumulonimbus is a new addition to the team. He is a horse that my wife Candida and I loved when we saw him at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale in October but he went for 150,000gns so we thought he was gone on to other pastures.

“But we were called that night by Ramiro Restrepo, who is involved in the syndicate that won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mage. Ramiro had noted our exploits on the frozen lake at St Moritz and the call was a lovely one to get as it was to ask us to train the horse and prepare him for St Moritz if we were interested.

“It's a great thrill to have owners like this on board. The syndicate that Ramiro and his other partners have put together comprises of big names in American racing including trainers, bloodstock agents and farm owners across Kentucky and elsewhere in the USA.

“It is a wonderful contingent of racing minds and there is going to be over 80 of them flying over to make the most of the White Turf experience.”

Restrepo, who is new to ownership in Britain, added, “We are very excited for this new adventure. This has been the plan since Martin Buick bought him for us at Tattersalls in October. The Grosser Preis von St Moritz is a unique race and George Baker knows how to win it. We just can't wait to get there now and see Cumulonimbus do his thing. We'd love to win it!

“After his race in St Moritz, we are looking forward to an action-packed campaign in the UK. He has a rating that could see him line up at Royal Ascot, so it should be a fun year!”

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