The European Pattern Committee (EPC) has approved the upgrade of two Group 3 races to Group 2 status for 2026, including the Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp (1400m, 3yo, early-June). Won last year by the subsequent Group 1 winner Maranoa Charlie, the race is intended to act as the main stepping stone to the G1 Prix Jean Prat over the same distance approximately one month later.
Meanwhile, Germany successfully applied to upgrade the Bavarian Classic at Munich (2000m, 3yo, early-May) to Group 2 status. The Bavarian Classic has a strong record of producing Deutsches Derby contenders in recent years, with Isfahan the last horse to complete the double in 2016.
The EPC has also sanctioned five new Listed races across Europe, including in France where the inaugural running of the Prix Esotérique (1600m, 4yo+, mid-May) will be staged at ParisLongchamp for older fillies and mares. In Germany, a trial for the Deutsches Derby will be introduced at Dortmund, run two weeks prior to the Derby over the distance of 2050m. Elsewhere, Ireland have created a new Listed prize for juvenile fillies at Cork named the Firville Stakes (1400m, 2yo, mid-August), while both Italy and Sweden have had conditions races reinstated back into the black-type programme – the Premio Emanuele Filiberto (2000m, 3yo, early-May) and the Jägersro Sprint (1200m, 3yo+, mid-May), respectively.
It is also worth noting that, in 2025, the EPC approved the upgrade of Leopardstown's Golden Fleece Stakes to Group 1 status. Held on Irish Champions Weekend in mid-September, the two-year-old contest will also be run over the increased distance of 1800m (from 1600m) when this change takes effect in 2026.
In total, the EPC ratified 811 black-type races at its primary 2026 meeting held on Thursday, February 5 – down from 814 in 2025 – comprising 409 Group races (411 in 2025) and 402 Listed races (403 in 2025).
As well as the black-type changes announced above, the EPC has removed the threat of sanctions from Italian racing in recognition of the significant progress made by the Ministry of Agriculture (MASAF) in Italy, in terms of the regularisation of their prize-money payments and improvements to their administrative procedures in line with the standards expected.
Several black-type races in Italy have been downgraded for 2026, however. The full list of downgrades is as follows:
Italy
- G2 Premio Dormello (Milan) downgraded to Group 3
- G2 Premio Lydia Tesio (Rome) downgraded to Group 3
- G2 Premio Roma (Milan) downgraded to Group 3
- Listed Botticelli (Rome) loses Listed status
- Listed Repubbliche Marinare (Rome) loses Listed status
- Listed Vittorio Riva (Milan) loses Listed status
Scandinavia
- G3 Scandinavian Open Championship (Copenhagen) downgraded to Listed
In addition to these downgrades, the G3 Prix Pénélope at Saint-Cloud (France), Listed Prix Scaramouche at Saint-Cloud (France), Listed Spring Mile at Jägersro (Sweden) and Listed Swedish Open Mile at Bro Park (Sweden) were all voluntarily deleted from the black-type programme.
Additional Changes
Other key changes to note include the decision of France Galop to move prominent Pattern races from a Sunday fixture at ParisLongchamp to a Thursday night, with the aim of showcasing quality racing to a younger audience. The G1 Prix d'Ispahan (1850m, 4yo+), G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3100m, 4yo+) and G3 Prix du Palais-Royal (1400m, 3yo+) will all move to that ParisLongchamp midweek slot in 2026 (May 21). The G3 Prix Hocquart (2200m, 3yo) and Listed Prix de Montretout (1600m, 4yo+) will move in the opposite direction to bolster the vacant Sunday fixture at ParisLongchamp on May 24, alongside the G2 Prix Corrida (2100m, 4yo+ fillies and mares) which was previously run midweek at Saint-Cloud.
In addition, the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2400m, 4yo+) will take place a week later from this year (July 5) in order to push the race a further week on from Royal Ascot, and a similar rationale applies to the week later date for the G1 Prix Jean Prat (1400m, 3yo) at Deauville (July 12). France Galop also successfully applied to run the G2 Prix Alec Head (formerly the Prix de Pomone, 2500m, 3yo+ fillies and mares) a week earlier (August 15) to create better spacing with the G1 Prix Vermeille – which was shifted forward by one week last year as part of the movement of Arc Trials Day.
Due to Capannelle Racecourse not being operational until September, MASAF have successfully applied to move the black-type races due to be run in Rome during the first half of the year to San Siro Racecourse in Milan, aside from one Listed contest (Premio Natale di Roma) which moves to Florence. This will mean that the G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2,000 Guineas), G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1,000 Guineas) and G2 Derby Italiano will all be run at a different venue this year.
Horse Racing Ireland also confirmed temporary host venues for Tipperary's five black-type races whilst that venue is closed for the development of an all-weather surface. In Britain, a further point of interest was the name change for the Group 2 race at York formerly known as the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes (6f, 3yo+, mid-May), which will now be named the Minster Stakes.
As previously announced, Epsom's G1 Coronation Cup will move from the Friday to the Saturday of the Epsom Derby Festival. The Coronation Cup will be run for £1 million from this year, sitting alongside the first ever £2-million Derby. Epsom will also host the G3 Tattenham Corner Stakes (7f, 4yo+) – the race formerly known as the John of Gaunt Stakes when it was run at Haydock – while the Listed Further Flight Stakes transfers from Nottingham to Musselburgh's Easter Saturday fixture and becomes the Goliath Cup (14f, 4yo+).
Other changes to note in Britain were some tactical adjustments to the age conditions for certain races. These changes are designed to create differentiation where similar race opportunities exist within close proximity and to support the development of slower maturing, three-year-old middle-distance horses.
For those reasons, the G3 Winter Hill Stakes (10f) at Windsor has been pushed back by one week and restricted to three-year-olds only. It was previously staged in late-August on the same card as the Listed August Stakes (12f), which remains in situ but has been restricted to horses aged four and upwards. Similar rationale applies for switching the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket (12f, late-September) to three-year-olds only, in tandem with the G3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot (12f, early-October) becoming the older horse race.
'At Risk' Races for 2027
A total of 22 Pattern and Listed races will be at risk of potential downgrade in 2027, depending on their performance in 2026. They include the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury, run over six furlongs for juveniles in late-September. The Mill Reef's Group 2 status was maintained by the EPC for 2026 following a unanimous vote, but the race will be downgraded automatically in 2027 if it fails to achieve its annual parameter this year.
By nation, the spread of 'at risk' races is as follows:
- Britain – 3
- France – 4
- Germany – 5
- Ireland – 3
- Italy – 5
- Sweden – 2
Statement from the Chair
Jason Morris, chair of the EPC, said, “The EPC has reduced the number of scheduled black-type races for a fifth year in a row, with the total falling from 853 races in 2021 to 811 races in 2026. This reflects the collective responsibility that the EPC member countries share towards enforcing quality control.
“The EPC also recognises the challenges being faced with falling foal populations and a diminishing supply of high-quality horses throughout Europe, and it will continue to work collaboratively to keep this critical issue under review.
“In this regard, the EPC has warmly welcomed MASAF's commitment to revitalise and relaunch the Italian racing and breeding industry, which includes ambitions for securing an upgrade of an existing race to Group 1 status in the future. The prize-money of the G2 Premio del Jockey Club at Milan in October has been doubled to €500,000 for 2026 as a race that Italy is targeting for potential promotion.”
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