Europe Focused on Growth, Promotion of Staying Races

An upgrade of the 14-furlong Qatar Goodwood Cup to group 1 status, among the changes announced Feb. 1 by the European Pattern Committee, is part of a larger strategy to support a strong program for stayers.

"No other part of the world provides a meaningful program of races for such horses and some appear to have almost given up altogether," said Brian Kavanagh, chairman of the European Pattern Committee, in a statement about this year's changes. "Whilst the program for stayers features some important races, it does not offer a group 1 race over a distance in excess of 14 1/2 furlongs between Royal Ascot and the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting.  We agreed that it would seem sensible to have a European group 1 over two miles in the summer, and the historic Goodwood Cup is well-positioned in the year, and was felt to be the obvious candidate."

"We also agreed that the overall stayers' program needs to cement together well, with various other more minor gaps and enhancements which we've looked to address," Kavanagh continued. 

Among these changes, the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot was not only upgraded to group 2 but will now be run at 14 furlongs instead of 16 furlongs.

"A few years ago the EPC downgraded the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot. The race serves a specific, and currently unique, purpose, but it was required to be downgraded automatically under the ground rules," Kavanagh said. "This was an uncomfortable outcome, for all of us, but it helped to concentrate our minds on the need to develop greater depth to the pool of young stayers. The reduction in trip for the Queen's Vase should help to make it more of a target for a greater number of quality young horses."

Other changes made during the committee's meeting Jan. 23 are as follows:

•    Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten (16f, 4yo+, May 14) to be upgraded to group 2

•    Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh (16f, 3yo+, Sept. 24) to be upgraded to group 3

•    Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown (9f, 2yo, Oct. 28) to be upgraded to group 3

•    A new 13f listed race for 3-year-olds at Navan on May 20

•    Two new 14f 4yo+ listed races to be created in Germany—April 6 and Aug. 13

These other upgrades support the EPC's long-term project to incentivize the breeding, owning, and training of quality staying horses in Europe. The work has been led by a subcommittee with representatives from Great Britain, Ireland and France, which met a number of times during 2016 and whose work will continue during this year, with an aim to improve the stayers' program further, including a particular focus on fillies and mares. 

The EPC also took steps to protect its existing staying races by implementing a downgrade moritorium. No 13-furlong or longer pattern race in Europe is to be downgraded (unless voluntarily) before 2022. Races will then be reviewed for adjustment after the five-year window has passed.

The committee intends, too, to promote increased prize money for the group 1 staying events wherever possible; the Qatar Goodwood Cup will increase in value from £300,000 to £500,000, while the Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger will be increased in value from €400,000 to €500,000. The objective is that all European group 1 staying contests should become worth at least €500,000 as soon as possible.

Other upgrades and downgrades

 

The EPC also approved upgrades for three other pattern or listed races, as well as the creation of four new listed races in 2017, as follows:

Upgrades

•    Mooresbridge  (May 1, Naas, 4+, 10f) upgraded from group 3 to group 2

•    Alleged (April 9, Naas, 4+, 10f) upgraded from listed to group 3

•    Princess Royal (Sept. 29, Newmarket, 3+ fillies & mares, 12f) upgraded from listed to group 3

New listed races (two in Britain, two in Ireland)

•    May 14, Curragh, 3+, 5f

•    June 3, Musselburgh, 3+ fillies & mares, 7f

•    Sept. 22, Ayr, 3+ fillies & mares, 51/2f

•    Oct. 8, Navan, 2yo, 51/2f

Downgrades

Four pattern races and six listed races were downgraded by the EPC following their 2016 renewals. This included the demotion of three more group 1 races in Italy. 

 

Pattern downgrades

•    Premio Vittorio di Capua (Sept. 24, Milan, 3+, 1600m) downgraded from group 1 to 2

•    Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Oct. 15, Milan, 3+, 2400m) downgraded from group 1 to 2

•    Premio Roma-GBI Racing (Nov. 5, Rome, 3+, 2000m) downgraded from group 1 to 2

•    Premio Chiusura (Nov. 12, Milan, 2+, 1400m) downgraded from group 3 to listed

Races losing listed status

•    Investec Woodcote (June 2, Epsom Downs, 2yo, 6f)

•    Grand Prix du Lion d'Angers (July 15, Le Lion d'Angers, 3yo, 2000m)

•    Sachsen Preis (July 15, Dresden, 3+, 1900m)

•    Silbernes Band (Oct. 15, Cologne, 3+ 3850m)

•    Gobierno Vasco (Aug. 20, San Sebastian, 3+, 1600m)

•    Gran Premio de la Hispanidad (Oct. 12, Madrid, 3+, 1600m)

Kavanagh referred to the quality of Italian racing as an "unfortunate...downward spiral."

"We intend to engage in conversations with the Italian Ministry in order to ascertain how other European nations might be able to help and to offer advice where possible," Kavanagh said. "Italy obviously has a lengthy and rich history within horseracing and breeding, and it is a sad loss to see the program of group 1 races there reduced from seven to one within the space of four years. We truly hope that circumstances will see this situation turn around in the future and that Italy will as soon as possible respect the 90 days limit for the payment of prize money."