BHA To Alter 2-Year-Old Race Programme

Following consultation with UK trainers the British Horseracing Authority has announced major changes to the race programme for 2-year-olds for the first half of the 2016 flat season. Approximately 90% of maiden races in the first half of the season will be converted to novice contests, giving winners more opportunities to run in advance of the traditional nursery programme kicking in. Ruth Quinn, director of international racing and racing development, said, “We should have a system in place that encourages progression, and as things stand that development programme for 2-year-olds in the first half of the season is not working. We accept that this is a major change and therefore potentially a brave move. However, only by making such a significant change does the BHA feel that it can offer a meaningful improvement to the programme for winning horses, whilst also reducing the number of small-field races. The changes we make will be on a trial basis at first and we will monitor the success of the trial before committing to anything in the longer term.”

This radical move caused some concern among recent yearling buyers at Tattersalls Book 1 Sale where all horses catalogued are eligible for a £25,000 bonus should they win a 2-year-old maiden in 2016. However Jimmy George of Tattersalls moved swiftly to allay any fears and commented, “The BHA changes to the 2-year-old flat novice and maiden race programme obviously complicate the new £25,000 Tattersalls October ‘Book 1 Bonus’, which is essentially a very simple incentive scheme, but nevertheless it is our intention that the number of eligible races will remain exactly the same. Any Class 2, 3, or 4 2-year-old maiden which has been reclassified as a Class 2, 3, or 4 novice race will be ‘Book 1 Bonus’ eligible. Existing Class 2, 3, or 4 novice races will not, however, be added to the scheme. Naturally as the October ‘Book 1 Bonus’ was designed specifically for maiden races, no eligible 2-year-old can win more than one bonus payment, as stipulated in the terms and conditions which are printed in the catalogue for Book 1 of the recent Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.”