The inaugural Irish European Breeders' Fund (EBF) Birdcatcher Series was launched on Thursday. The series is a new autumn nursery programme designed to boost opportunities for juveniles with over €150,000 in total prize-money. The highlight of the new series is a €20,000 bonus linked directly to the traditional Birdcatcher Premier Nursery at Naas Racecourse in October.
The series features a trio of nursery handicaps, each offering a €33,500 purse. If the winner of any of these three qualifying races goes on to win the Irish EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery in October, they will receive an additional €20,000 bonus on top of the first-place prize-money. The Irish EBF Birdcatcher Series is as follows:
- Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap (The Curragh, August 16, 2yo, 6f, €33,500
- Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap (Navan, September 5, 2yo, 5.8f, €33,500
- Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap (Cork, September 29, 2yo, 6f, €33,500
- Irish Stallion Farms EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery Handicap (Naas, October 10, 2yo, 5.9f, €50,000
Joe Foley, Irish EBF chairman, said, “The launch of the Irish EBF Birdcatcher Series is a strong demonstration of our ongoing commitment to supporting two-year-old racing in Ireland. The intent with the €20,000 bonus is to focus connections on these valuable nursery races and ultimately target the €50,000 Birdcatcher at Naas in October. We look forward to seeing who might be in line for the bonus in year one.”
Jonathan Mullin, Horse Racing Ireland, director of racing, said, “We are delighted to work alongside the Irish EBF on the new Birdcatcher Series. Nursery handicaps are a vital part of the programme for two-year-olds, and this initiative offers increased prize money across four great racecourses, which aligns with Horse Racing Ireland's prize-money strategy. The €20,000 bonus will add great excitement and intrigue for the owners and trainers who target the famous Birdcatcher at Naas.”
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