Navan and Fairyhouse set for June racing action
Navan and Fairyhouse will host five of the 28 race meetings scheduled for June when the action resumes behind closed doors next month according to the schedule released by Horse Racing Ireland today.
It has been agreed that Cork racecourse will not be among those used in June when it will continue to serve an important role as a HSE Test Centre for Covid-19.
The action will resume on the flat at Naas on Monday 8th June with a total of 24 meetings on the level while the jumping action will get started at Limerick on 22nd June with action also scheduled for Roscommon, Tipperary and KIlbeggan.
Racing will resume under strict protocols at Naas with the Irish 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on 12th and 13th June.
Tiered prizemoney reductions will apply across all grades and 48-hour declarations will assist health screening protocols
There will be no apprentice or claiming races in first two weeks following resumption.
The Irish Derby retains its traditional date on Saturday 27th June as does the Irish Oaks on Saturday 18th July while Irish Champions Weekend will take place on 12th and 13th September.
For the first three weeks, racing will be restricted to nine racecourses which are more centrally located to minimise travel distances and which also have higher stable capacities given the requirement for one stable per horse under the new protocols.
Wherever possible eight-race cards will be staged to maximise opportunities for the horse population.
Safety limits will be decided on a racecourse by racecourse basis to accommodate each track’s social distancing requirements, with a general maximum limit of 18 initially.
Prizemoney reductions are as follows:
The Irish Derby and the Irish Champion Stakes both reduced to €750,000 (by 50 per cent and 40 per cent from €1.5m and €1.25m respectively) with significant reductions to all other Group 1 races throughout the year.
The 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas will both be worth €250,000.
General prize money reductions, initially to the end of June, are as follows:
Base values for Group 1 Flat races cut by 30-50 per cent
Base values for races above €50,000 cut by at least 25 per cent
Base values for races above €20,000 to €50,000 cut by 20 per cent
Base values for races above €15,000 to €20,000 cut by 15 per cent
Base values for races from €10,000 to €15,000 cut by 10 per cent
Minimum value of €10,000 cut by 10% to €9,000
JUNE FIXTURES (Flat unless otherwise indicated)
8th June - Naas
9th June - Leopardstown
10th June - Navan
11th June - Gowran Park
12th June - Curragh
13th June - Curragh
14th June - Leopardstown
15th June -Fairyhouse, Roscommon
17th June - Gowran Park, Limerick
18th June - Fairyhouse
19th June - Tipperary, Gowran Park
20th June - Naas
21st June - Leopardstown
22nd June - Roscommon, Limerick (NH)
23rd June - Navan
24th June - Naas, Roscommon (NH)
25th June - Fairyhouse
26th June - Curragh, Tipperary (NH)
27th June - Curragh
28th June - Curragh
29th June - Limerick, Kilbeggan (NH)