Several changes have been made to the 2024/2025 UK mares' Jump Pattern and Listed programme by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA)'s Jump Pattern Committee.
These changes were made to build on the continued success of the mares' programme over the previous 10 years. Since 2015 the following has occurred in the mares' programme:
- Horses in training (increased from 19.7% of the horse population to 23.9%)
- Individual runners (increased from 19.5% to 23.5%)
- Individual runners rated 140+ (increased from 3.9% to 9.1%)
To further optimise and bolster the mares' NH programme, the latest changes include some adjustments to existing races in the calendar as well as the introduction of three new listed races at Doncaster, Exeter and Kelso. In addition, in order to ensure increased competitiveness of the mares' handicap chase programme, mares' novices' handicap chases have been removed for the 2024/25 season. The full list of changes are as follows:
Mares' Class 1 Steeple Chase Programme:
- Carlisle's Houghton Mares' Chase (2m 4f) – Nov. 3
- Market Rasen's Bud Booth Mares' Chase (3m) – Nov. 27
- Newbury's Listed 3m Mares' Chase – Jan. 15
- Huntingdon's Lady Protectress Mares' Chase (2m 4f) – Feb. 6
- New Listed Agatha Christie 2m Mares' Novices' Chase at Exeter – Feb. 9
- Exeter's Listed 3m Mares' Chase – Feb. 21
- Cheltenham's Mares' Novices' Handicap Chase (2m 4f) – Apr. 17l
Mares' Class 1 Hurdle Programme:
- Kempton's Listed Mares' Hurdle reduced to 2 1/2 miles – Nov. 25
- New Doncaster Listed 3m Mares' Hurdle – Dec. 14
- Warfield Mares' Hurdle (2 miles) and Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle (3 miles) distance switch on Jan. 18 and 25
- New Kelso Listed 3m Mares' Hurdle – Mar. 22
For more information on the race changes and additions, please visit the BHA website.
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