The Irish jumps race programme has slowly developed into something of a hornet’s nest but we should be encouraged by some positive steps taken last month with the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA) submitting a list of resoundingly rational changes to Horse Racing Ireland (HRI).
One of the submissions is to reduce the number of beginners’ chases and bring in more novice handicap chases, in which horses rated up to 120 over hurdles can compete on their chase debut once they have had three or more handicap hurdle runs.
This suggestion has already been taken on board by the IHRB, as, from the start of the 2024-25 season, it has allowed horses go straight into a handicap chase off their hurdle mark up to a rating of 110.
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Published on 20 May 2025inAnother View
Last updated 14:00, 20 May 2025