HRI Announce New Initiative to Help National Hunt Trainers Attract New Owners

A new series of races designed to spread investment in Irish National Hunt racing was announced by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) on Thursday.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, HRI will schedule 60 races throughout the calendar year which will be restricted to trainers who have trained less than 50 Irish National Hunt winners in either of the last two full Irish National Hunt seasons. Races in this series will include bumpers, maiden hurdles, beginners steeplechases and handicap hurdles.

Jonathan Mullin, HRI's director of racing, said, “This series of 60 races has been designed by the HRI Programmes Committee to give trainers the confidence to attract new owners into their yards with the knowledge that there is a programme of races there to support them in that endeavour. There are already a small number of races in the calendar that provide this function and this series is a step up in quantity which is intended to deliver a body of races substantial enough for trainers to encourage owners into their business and plan campaigns for those horses.”