From Racing Post New Group 1 created as part of sprint revolution BY PETER SCARGILL 11:43AM 13 AUG 2014 A NEW three-year-old only Group 1 over 6f will be held at Royal Ascot next year and is one of a number of changes to the sprinting programme in Europe designed to improve the quality of the competition. The creation of the new race, worth £375,000, sits alongside the upgrading of races in Britain, Ireland, France and Germany, including the elevation of the Qipco British Champions Sprint on Champions Day to a Group 1 from a Group 2. Brian Kavanagh, the chairman of the European Pattern Committe, said: "For horses performing at every distance other than sprinting, the European Pattern provides a three-year-old only programme until mid summer, when the Classic generation is considered ready to take on the older horses. "The Committee believes it is no coincidence that when it comes to milers and middle distance horses, Europe can genuinely lay claim to having the best in the world, however, there is a definite lack of top class European three-year-old sprinters." The new Royal Ascot race, which has yet to be named, will be run on the Friday of the meeting and will replace the Buckingham Palace Stakes, a 7f handicap. The Diamond Jubilee will also be closed to three-year-olds although the King's Stand remains open to them. As well as the new race at Royal Ascot, the Prix Sigy at Chantilly, Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, Lacken Stakes at Naas and Prix Texanita at Maisons-Laffitte for three-year-olds will be upgraded to Group 3s and the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock will be a Group 2 in 2015 having been Listed this year. Kavanagh added: "We acknowledge the steps we have taken are bold, some may consider them radical. However, the committee believes they are warranted and that they will be of considerable benefit to European horseracing and breeding." For the older sprinters, the upgrading of the Champions Sprint is complemented by making the Greenlands Stakes, Flying Five Stakes and the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh Group 2s. The Golden Peitsche at Baden-Baden will be a Group 2 in 2015 as well. "As is the case for any race granted Group status or an upgrade in exceptional circumstances, the performance of the races in question will be reviewed by the EPC after three years," Kavanagh said. Ruth Quinn, the BHA's director of racing, believes the move is positive for British racing and will reduce the number of talented sprinters retiring to stud before their three-year-old season. "The introduction of the new Group 1 race at Royal Ascot and the accompanying upgrades to existing races represents a tremendous opportunity for British and European racing and the overall package of measures is, I believe, a significant step forward," Quinn said. "We have seen a number of Group-winning horses retired to stud at the end of their two-year-old season, decisions which can only have been influenced by the absence of a suitable programme that plays to the horse's strengths during their three-year-old campaign. We strongly felt that such outcomes are not in the best interests of the sport."
I understand the new race will be run on the Friday of Royal Ascot, with the Buckingham Palace Stakes eliminated to make way for the race.
Trainers' responses Trainers give backing to new sprint upgrades BY SCOTT BURTON 6:29PM 13 AUG 2014 THE news that Royal Ascot is to host a new Group 1 restricted to second-term sprinters - with a bolstering of the three-year-old programme around it – was given the thumbs up from a number of trainers on Wednesday. Both Robert Cowell and Clive Cox pointed to the extra incentive for owners to keep their speedy two-year-olds in training the following season, rather than sell them abroad. Cox enjoyed Group 1 success at four with Lethal Force last season while watching 2012 Morny and Middle Park winner Reckless Abandon fail to add to his tally at three. He said: “Framing something at the royal meeting for three-year-olds makes a huge amount of sense - to give them a pathway rather that unfavourably competing against the older horses at that stage. “If you’ve got a decent three-year-old prospect it makes more sense to keep it, with the knowledge you have somewhere to go rather than taking a healthy offer if that was the case.” Sprint specialist Cowell said: “Something needed to happen to the three-year-old programme. A lot of three-year-olds get lost and then they get sold abroad. At least now there is a a race for trainers to point their decent sprinters at rather than trying to stretch them out over further.” Henry Candy has handled such flying machines as Kyllachy, Airwave and Markab during his career and was another to endorse the proposals. “It’s brilliant,” said Candy. “There has always been a huge hole for three-year-old sprinters and it’s something I certainly support. It all sounds very positive.” Michael Bell has managed to buck the trend in recent seasons, earning Group 1 success with both Art Connoisseur and Margot Did at three. He said: “Bizarrely we have won both the Nunthorpe and the Golden Jubilee with three-year-old sprinters who I considered to be on the small side. Sprinting is not an exact science but generally the perception is that the three-year-olds struggle against the older horses so I think this is a good thing.”
The only problem I foresee with this new programme is whether people will actually take part in the early season races. The fact is that up until mid-April most trainers of the previous year's top 2yo sprinters are hoping that they will get a mile and run in one of the Guineas. It's a good idea in principle, but I would rather they started streamline in the Pattern, rather than adding more races to it.
Agree with most of that PN but it looks ill conceived in essence unless you own a sprinting stallion! It is highly likely to cannibalise the KS and JS at RA where a 3-y-o was second in the former and third in the latter,as a beaten favourite. Can only engender less competition and as you state will have a knock on effect on the 2000,Greenham,Craven etc. For these G1's to have kudos they should be titled sparingly.The knock in years to come to come could mean races like the Richmond and Gimcrack being elevated to G1 status if the collateral form stacks up the following season..they should already be demoted in the pattern race calendar. We are turning the Group race schedule into an inverted pyramid. In Ireland they have some strange thinking.10% of all NH races next season will be graded class. I believe there are now 60% more G2 'chases than G3'chases..crazy. We're heading the same way on the level unless a ruthless cull is executed. There is a listed sprint at Newbury this weekend where the highest rated of the entrants boasts a mark of 96. Saturation and dilution.
There's a disproportionate number of Group races in Ireland. When you look at horse population sizes you can see how relatively easy it is to pick up black type, and prize money, in Ireland. I'm quoting figures off the top of my head, but there are about 65 Group races (flat) in Ireland each year and 145 in Britain, but the racehorse population in the two countries is massively different. I don't know the latest Irish figures, but it is over 15,000 in Britain. You also raise a good point about the knock on effect on the traditional Guineas Trial races. I guess we'll have to see what happens.
I fail to see this as a good idea. another case of more Group 1 races reducing competition. This will remove 3yos from the Kings Stand and Golden Jubilee, weakening those races. Just don't get it. So I agree entirely with Dexter.
In a site I've just had a look at, over the period from May to October, there are 24 G1 events run over a mile or more. The number at 7 furlongs or less stands at just 8. I think this in itself suggests that UK racing is top heavy towards the staying side. It's no surprise is it? After all, The UK has long been the home of distance racing. I hate to say this guys, but speed is on the way. Many moons from now, I can see the Epsom Derby being run over 1500m or so.
The Cheltenham Festival has been ruined by the addition of far too many races which as a result has diluted the product and made ante-post betting on the meeting a waste of time as in so many instances it’s mere guesswork trying to determine where a horse will run. The same ‘brains’ now seemingly want to destroy the sprinting division. 3 Group 1 sprint races at Royal Ascot and next to no 3YO’s set to run in either ‘The Kings Stand’ or the old ‘Diamond Jubilee’! What utter madness, methinks.
Here's Ralph Beckett's comment on it. Never afraid to speak his mind: someone should have a word with him! You may also have read that the European Pattern Committee have decided to upgrade 10 3yo only sprint races next year, whilst parachuting in a Group 1 6f 3yo only race at Royal Ascot. You would think that with a shrunken horse population there would be no need to upgrade any races and in fact they should be downgrading. Personally I think it’s a foolhardy plan and they would have been much better off making the Group 1 a Group 2 with no penalties and leaving the other 10 races as they were. If the Group 2 became a race that produced Group 1 ratings, then they could upgrade. For instance, if this year’s best 3yo sprinter, Hot Streak who won the Group 2 Temple Stakes on the way to Ascot against older sprinters, could then choose which race to run in. With this new plan his connections wouldn’t have to. Inevitably one of the Kings Stand and Golden Jubilee stakes will suffer, particularly if international runners don’t show up (as happened this year).
You are damned if you do and damned if you don't. I think the artificial introduction of the G1 is wrong, it should rise through the ranks from Group 3 to Group 1, but I do think that a classic generation only sprint is a good idea for one of the big meetings, and Royal Ascot does look to be the right place for it. I however wonder if they should have it earlier in the season, so that the winner of the race could go on and challenge their elders in the King Stand at Royal Ascot. Surely that would add more interest to both races? Perhaps with a double bonus on offer? I think they should run the race at Newmarket on Guineas weekend.
