The Irish European Breeders’ Fund, Irish racing’s largest sponsor, who are funded by Irish Stallion Farms, have announced a raft of new initiatives along with another record high sponsorship of €3.1 million for 2025. Supplementary to this significant spend there are prize money commitments of €150,000 to Irish EBF named races in the UK and for retired racehorses through TREO EILE, bringing the overall 2025 prize money sponsorship amount to €3.25 million. Since the foundation of the Irish European Breeders’ Fund in 1983, the overall contribution is over €63 million. All Irish EBF money is put directly into Irish Racing and encompasses nearly 500 races, both flat and National Hunt, that will carry EBF conditions throughout the year.

The considerable spend of €3.1 million has enabled the creation of the new Smullen Series of eighteen middle distance races for two and three years olds including a new two-year-old Listed race at Naas Racecourse in July named in honour of Pat Smullen, the Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes. The Spring Series of races originally designed for middle distance three-year-old horses, including the valuable €200,000 Gowran Classic will become part of the overall Smullen Series that will provide trainers, owners and breeders of middle-distance horses valuable opportunities to race throughout the season.

To boost prize money and interest in nursery races there will be three Irish EBF nursery handicaps each worth €40,000 starting with one in August, followed by the Auction Series Nursery at Cork Racecourse in September and culminating with the traditional Birdcatcher Premier Nursery at Naas Racecourse in October. The aim is to encourage horses eligible for these races to compete in one or all three of the nurseries to avail of the €120,000 of prize money on offer.

The Irish EBF can now confirm that all Curragh and Leopardstown two-year-old EBF maiden races will each run for a minimum of €20,000 in 2025. All other two-year-old Irish EBF maidens races in Ireland will be run for a minimum of €18,000. This compliments the €1.6 million of prize money on offer for two-year-olds in the successful Auction Series and the Median Sires Series which both include big race targets in the €120,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Final and the €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes.

As previously announced the Irish EBF will be the flagship sponsor of the new Academy Hurdle Series which will commence October 2025. This sponsorship reinforces the support the Irish European Breeders’ Fund have consistently given to Irish National Hunt racing, breeding and sales with the following highlights. 50% of the National Hunt allocation targeted at mares’ chases, hurdle and bumper races, Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series worth nearly €400,000 with 16 qualifying races and a €75,000 final at the Punchestown Festival which is backed up by the Irish EBF Auction Bumper Series with six races worth €15,000 each over the season.

Jessica Harrington, 2024 Gowran Classic and Auction Series Final winning trainer commented: “Last year we were lucky to have won two big prize money pots from the Irish EBF, the first running of the €200,000 Gowran Classic with Fleur De Chine and the €120,000 Auction Series Final in Naas with Fiona MacCoul. Those two races alone brought in €182,000 of prize money for our owners and gave them tremendous thrills in the process. The added prize money in Irish EBF races really grabs your attention and the Irish EBF are always innovating to keep their races relevant and lucrative for connections, this is essential for the industry where good prize money drives success. The exciting new Smullen Series with the new listed race also in Pat’s honour is another example of how the Irish EBF are constantly coming up with great ideas and keeping prize money at the core of their decisions.”

Ralph Beckett, Classic winning trainer said; “I am impressed with the amount of prize money the Irish EBF are able to put directly into racing, prize money is what drives our industry every year and what entices my owners to send horses over to Ireland to race. The new Smullen Series is a wonderful showcase for middle distance horses that is sure to put the spotlight on these type of horses to help promote their breeding and retention in the training ranks. Pat rode my first Breeders’ Cup winner in 2008 with Muhannak and this series is a fitting tribute to an amazing man, hopefully we can win one of his races this year to celebrate Pat’s legacy.”

Joe Foley, Irish EBF Chairman, said; “The combined spend from Irish Stallion Farms to the industry is an enormous €3.25 million, that is €3.1 million directly to Irish prize money plus €100,000 to Irish EBF named races in the UK and €50,000 to prize money at TREO EILE supported events for retired racehorses. This amount equates to 10% of what the government will spend on Irish prize money this year and showcases how significant the funding from Irish Stallion Farms is to the industry. The Irish EBF has flourished in the last ten years when the annual contribution to racing was €1.6m, now it is a staggering €3.25, double the amount in 2015, which is a credit to each and every stallion farm who contribute to the scheme year after year.”

Jonathan Mullin, Horse Racing Ireland, Director of Racing, commented; “Today’s announcement of a record sponsorship figure for 2025 is another reminder of the vital role that the Irish EBF play in Irish racing. This investment in prize money from the Irish EBF comes from voluntary contributions from stallion farms all over Ireland and Horse Racing Ireland is hugely appreciative of this long-standing investment. In 2024 the EBF and HRI targeted support towards later developing middle distance horses with higher value early season three-year-old median auction maidens, and with the Irish EBF’s help this strategy will be enhanced in 2025 with the advent of the Smullen Series. Named after an Irish racing hero, this series has as its ambition the promotion of horses bred for stamina and will see a new race enter the Pattern, the Pat Smullen Stakes for two-year-olds over a mile at Naas in July, as well as increased values on a number of autumn two-year-old maidens over a mile and a mile-plus. I want to also acknowledge the Irish EBF’s title sponsorship of the upcoming Irish EBF Academy Hurdle series in October and thank them for their enthusiastic support of this new initiative for Irish National Hunt racing.”

ENDS –
For Further Information:
Nessa Joyce, Manager, Irish European Breeders’ Fund
Greenhills, Kill, Naas, Co Kildare, W91 FY62
M: +353 85 7590970, E: [email protected] Twitter & Facebook: @IrishEBF
www.ebfstallions.com

Photo credits:
Irish EBF Smullen Series
L to R, Jessica Harrington (Trainer), Frances Crowley (wife of the late Pat Smullen), Suzanne Eade (CEO Horse Racing Ireland), Joe Foley (Chairman Irish EBF).
Credit: Joe Conroy Photography