Major bonuses added to Irish EBF Academy Hurdle races

Horse Racing Ireland has announced today that the ITBA Fillies Bonus Scheme and a Sales Voucher Bonus are to be added to new Irish EBF Academy Hurdles races.

Following on from industry discussion originating from the ITBA seminars and other outlets these races are designed to introduce National Hunt horses to racing at an earlier age and each of the winners will still qualify to run in bumpers and maiden hurdles in Ireland, while non-winners will qualify for a hunters’ certificate for point-to-points.

John Osborne, HRI Director of Equine Welfare & Bloodstock

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has today announced added incentives for owners to accompany the new Irish EBF Academy Hurdle races which are due to begin at Cork on Sunday, October 12 and run through to the end of December.

The Academy Hurdle races, sponsored by the Irish European Breeders’ Fund, will be open to three-year-old horses which have not had any previous run under either Rules of Racing or I.N.H.S. Rules other than in Academy Hurdle races. Once underway, they will run at regular and suitable intervals up to the end of the year before horses can continue their careers in bumpers, maiden hurdles or point-to-points.

Each Irish EBF Academy Hurdle will offer two incentives for owners. Firstly, an IRE Incentive-style sales voucher will go to the owners of any Irish-bred horse which wins or is placed either second or third. Each winning owner will receive a €5,000 voucher while the owners of the runner-up and the third-placed horses will each receive €3,000 and €2,000 respectively.

Vouchers must be spent at the 2026 specified store sales at Goffs or Tattersalls Ireland on Irish-bred two-year-olds. Only one voucher may be used against any particular lot bought although a horse can win more than one bonus by being in the placings more than once.

In addition, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s (ITBA) support of Irish EBF Academy Hurdles will now see all races benefit from being part of the Weatherbys National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme (in association with The Irish Field). This means that three-year-old Irish-bred fillies that win an Irish EBF Academy Hurdle in 2025 will be awarded an additional €7,500 bonus on top of the race prize money and will still be eligible for the €5,000 scheme bonuses available if subsequently winning a bumper, a steeplechase, but not a maiden hurdle.

Fillies must be entered by their owners with the ITBA and payment of €300 per filly made by 5pm on Friday, May 30 in order to qualify for the Weatherbys National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme (in association with The Irish Field) in Irish EBF Academy Hurdle Races.

John Osborne, HRI’s Director of Equine Welfare & Bloodstock, said: “We are pleased to offer these additions to owners for each race in the new Irish EBF Academy Hurdle races. Already this year, Irish National Hunt-bred three-year-old hurdlers have performed with credit in France with both Wild Bill Hickok and The Mighty Celt winning races in March.

“Following on from industry discussion originating from the ITBA seminars and other outlets these races are designed to introduce National Hunt horses to racing at an earlier age and each of the winners will still qualify to run in bumpers and maiden hurdles in Ireland, while non-winners will qualify for a hunters’ certificate for point-to-points.

“The added support of the ITBA through the Weatherbys ITBA NH Filles Bonus Scheme gives a further incentive to owners of fillies to target the Irish EBF Academy Hurdles with an additional €7,500 bonus now guaranteed on top of the prize money of €11,000 and the €10,000 in sales vouchers that will further drive the sales of Irish-bred store horses at both Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland store sales.”