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HRI announce flat race upgrades
A new Listed race will be run at Cork in April
(Healy Racing Photos) Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) today announced a number of enhancements to the Irish Flat Pattern and Listed race programme, in addition to the Sprint Programme upgrades previously announced for the 2015 season.The principal changes concern the further improvement of the programme for fillies and mares with the Lanwades Stud Stakes (registered as the Ridgewood Pearl) at the Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend being upgraded from Group 3 to Group 2, along with the creation of two new 12f Listed races at Cork in early April and Naas in mid-October.
Additionally, the Curragh Stakes staged at the Curragh in late August will be upgraded to Group 3. This race is ideally positioned in the both the domestic and international calendar and provides a first Group 3 race for Irish 2yo sprinters over the minimum trip.
Confirming the Pattern race enhancements, HRI's Director of Racing, Jason Morris commented:
"HRI is delighted to have secured European agreement for all our proposed Irish upgrades in 2015. The promotion of the Ridgewood Pearl to Group 2 status and the creation of two new fillies Listed races over 12 furlongs will provide further encouragement to owners and trainers to put high quality mares in training in Ireland and to carry on racing them here beyond their three-year-old careers."
"The promotion of the Curragh Stakes to Group 3 status, along with the previously announced upgrades to three older horse sprints (Greenlands, Sapphire and Flying Five) from Group 3 to Group 2 and the creation of the Lacken Stakes (Group 3, 3yo only) at Naas in early June, reinforces HRI's commitment to improve the Irish sprinting programme, which will also see additional maiden race opportunities for both two and three-year-olds over the shorter distances in 2015."
UPGRADED FROM LISTED TO GROUP 3
* 22nd August 2015. Curragh, The Curragh Stakes, 5f 2yo
UPGRADED FROM GROUP 3 TO GROUP 2
* 23rd May 2015. Curragh, The Ridgewood Pearl Stakes, 8f 4yo Fillies
TWO NEW LISTED RACES
* 4th April 2015. Cork, 12f 4yo Fillies
* 18th October 2015. Naas, 12f 3yo Fillies
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The One Horse A.P.McCoy Said He Would Have Loved to Have Partnered GALILEO
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How Many UK Classics This Season Lads
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Important Yearbook announcement 2
>>> http://www.aidanobrienfansite.com/yearbook-2014.php
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TEAM ORDERS
Aidan With Seamie, Ryan, Ana, Colm, & Joseph On Irish Oaks Day 2014
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Song Of Love shows Great Improvement since he was gelded.
Finished a close 2nd at Dundalk Tonight vast improvements from his 2yo runs
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The Master Plan
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Rich Ricci Ruby Walsh & Willie Mullins with Vroom Vroom Mag winner of Gr 2
Leading Light Coolmore NH Sire Nov Chse
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Ouija Board: daughter of Cape Cross set for another trip to Coolmore
PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)Galileo return for Ouija Board after losing foal
BY KATHERINE FIDLER12:32PM 15 JAN 2015
OUIJA BOARD will return to Galileo this season after slipping a colt foal by the sire last year.
The daughter of Cape Cross, who carried the colours of her owner-breeder Lord Derby to victory at the highest level across the globe, will travel to County Tipperary to visit the champion sire early in the season.
"She's absolutely fit as a fiddle, it's just one of those things," said Peter Stanley, brother to Lord Derby and owner of New England Stud.
Ouija Board hit the headlines again in 2014 as the dam of dual Derby winner Australia, also by Galileo.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt, who was bought by Coolmore for 525,000gns at Tattersalls, later added the Juddmonte International to his top-flight tally before retiring to Coolmore, where he will begin stud duties alongside his sire next month.
Australia is the fourth winner from as many runners out of Ouija Board. Her first foal Voodoo Prince thrived after relocating to the base of Australian trainer Chris Waller, winning the Group 3 Easter Cup at Caulfield, while his half-siblings Aegaeus and Filia Regina both collected minor accolades in Britain.
Ouija Board's most recent foal, a Dubawi juvenile colt, was bought privately by Sheikh Mohammed last summer. He is not yet registered in training.
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The 1st European foal by DECLARATION OF WAR has been born in Newmarket
this morn. What a beauty
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Get Well Soon Starspangledbanner From Us At AOBFS
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The Wow Signal: Group 1 winner is by Starspangledbanner
PICTURE: ScoopDygaNo return to Coolmore for Starspangledbanner:
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Coolmore stallion Starspangledbanner will not be returning to stand at Cork's Castlehyde Stud in 2015 after a bout of colic was discovered at Christmas time.
The subfertile son of Choisir is now thankfully fully recovered, but will now be prepared to stand another season at Rosemont Stud in Australia, which is owned by Anthony Mithen, due to big risks about his health on the plane.
A decision about whether Starspangledbanner will return to Coolmore's breeding roster in 2016 is under review and will be announced at a later date.
Starspangledbanner was retired to stand at Coolmore in County Tipperary in 2011 and 2012 after a stellar career on the track, but after his subfertility problems were discovered, he made a return to the track, which didn't turn out to be as successful first time round and was shuttled to Rosemount Stud, where he now covers small but carefully managed books.
After a brilliant start with his first two-year-old runners in Europe, it was decided he was to arranged for him to be shuttled back to Castlehyde for 2015.
In 20 runners, Starspangledbanner had 11 winners - a phenomenal 55% winners-to-runners strike-rate - including the very highly regarded Royal Ascot winners The Wow Signal & Anthem Alexander, with the former following up his Coventry Stakes win with the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville.
Starspangledbanner only had a small number of yearlings up for sale in 2014, but they were in high demand, especially with bloodstock experts Peter and Ross Doyle, who snapped up the most expensive of the lot, a colt from the family of 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand, for 260,000gns, at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
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Yearbook Announcement
Took us a while but we have got there, For Those Interested My Brother Collects the yearbook prints today and hopefully they will be on an ebay shop early next week. The Yearbook will be strictly non profit they will Be sold at cost price + Postage Will Keep You Posted I will also look into selling them on the site (For non ebay members but have to go through what is required to do this as i say will keep you posted) Thanks to all who filled in the interest form gave us an idea how many may be needed.
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WOW AOBFS Twitter Feed Activity last 28 days
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