Connolly’s RED MILLS and Irish EBF support enhanced NH Auction Hurdle Series as HRI announce NH Changes for 2025-2027
Friday, October 03, 2025
Pictured at today's announcement in Gowran Park, L to R: Gareth Connolly, CEO Connolly’s RED MILLS; Richard Pugh, Head of Racing and Analytics, HRI; Nessa Joyce, Irish EBF Manager.
- NH Auction Hurdle Races
New format to commence September 2026 to include foals, yearlings and a median auction mechanism to incorporate owner/breeders. - Academy Hurdles
2025 - Begin October 12 at Cork
2026 - Begin October as per 2025
2027 - Begin early Spring to cater for Stores of Summer 2026 - NH Finals
Continued growth of 110 Benchmark Finals.
HRI have announced a number of enhancements to the National Hunt programme, including an expansion of the qualification criteria for the auction race series; a spring 2027 series of Academy Hurdle races; and an increase in high value finals for handicappers in the lower grades.
New conditions will apply to the National Hunt auction race programme which will see the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdles Series open up to a greater population of horses and provide support to National Hunt breeders in Ireland.
From the start of the 2026-27 National Hunt season, the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series will expand to permit foals and yearlings bought at qualifying public sales and will also include a median auction qualification which will bring many owner breeders into these races for the first time.
This will add to the supply of horses in a targeted way and the programme will flex to ensure these horses have ample opportunities during the NH season. From September to May there will be 20 Maiden Hurdles with three Novice Hurdles, each worth €20,000, including the continuation of the €75,000 Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle final at the Punchestown festival.
For this season the existing conditions will apply and these races will continue to be included under the Weatherby’s Ireland/ITBA Fillies Bonus Scheme (in association with The Irish Field).
This should provide purchasers with a confidence that once they purchase horses for this series there will be regular opportunities for them throughout the winter period with these races being for horses up to six years of age at the time of the final.
The first Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle race will take place in Cork on Sunday October 12, and HRI has announced that the Academy Hurdle races will again take place in the Autumn of 2026 and that from 2027 the Academy Hurdle races will begin in the Spring. This move comes on the back of feedback from vendors and end users and will ensure that any 2YO store sold next year (2026) will have suitable targets in the Spring of 2027.
Next year will also see further growth in the number of 110 Benchmark finals. The first trial in the €25,000 110 Series Final took place at Killarney in July. These finals are open to horses who have run in the qualifying period with participation and balloting linked to performance in those races within the period. These races have the potential to provide a destination race for a large portion of the NH population of horses and provide opportunities to owners and trainers at all levels. These races will be included in the upcoming Provisional Summary for races from January 1 2026.
There will also be changes to conditions of Unplaced Maiden Hurdle series and to the balloting of Cross-Country Chases, details of which are below.
Jonathan Mullin, HRI’s Director of Racing, said:
“With the National Hunt season taking shape both on the course and in the sales ring, it is timely to outline the strategy which HRI are committed to progressing to support National Hunt racing at all levels.
“Each of these initiatives are important in their own right but outline a joined-up strategy for National Hunt racing in Ireland encouraging horses to begin their career earlier along with providing suitable opportunities for most of the horse population.”
Joe Foley, Irish EBF Chairman, commented:
“The Irish EBF board wholeheartedly welcome the enhancements to the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series, these changes will deliver an even bigger and better series for a wider population of auction bought horses plus the addition of home bred horses. The series was conceived in 2018 with HRI and our sponsorship partner Connolly’s RED MILLS to mirror the popular 2yo Auction Series on the flat and will continue to provide excellent prizemoney and opportunities for connections of NH horses in the €30,000 or less category. HRI’s further commitment to the new Academy Hurdle Series is also very welcome and we look forward to first race on October 12th in Cork.”
Gareth Connolly, CEO Connolly’s RED MILLS, added:
“We are immensely proud to have supported the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series over the past eight seasons. It has been hugely rewarding to see the opportunities it has created for owners, trainers, and breeders, and to play a part in giving back to the industry that means so much to us. As the series expands next year, it feels like the perfect time to take it to the next level, building on its success and continuing to champion accessibility, opportunity, and growth within Irish racing.”
Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Hurdle Series
Qualifications :
A. Auction
Stores sold or bought in for €30,000 or less at a qualifying sale
Foals and Yearlings sold or bought in at qualifying sales for €15,000 or less
*Any horse sold at any time above the €30,000 threshold at any sale will be excluded.
B. Median
Horses who were unable to qualify above as they were not offered for sale, missed a sale engagement, were unsold in the ring, sold privately outside the ring or owner/bred can now qualify provided the median auction price of the stallion is below the level specified for the race.
The median auction level will be determined by the sales of the sire at qualifying sales in the year of birth of the animal.
- All races to be Maiden/Novice Hurdles run from September to May with the Final a Novice Hurdle continuing to take place at the Punchestown Festival in April.
- These races will be for horses up to 6yo at the time of the final.
Academy Hurdles update
2025 - Begin October 12th Cork
2026 - Begin October as per 2025
2027 - Begin early Spring to cater for Store horses of Summer 2026
NH 110 Benchmark Hurdle Finals
NH Finals provide destination races for the largest portion of the horse population. 110 Benchmark hurdles in the period running up to the final act as qualifiers with winners qualifying before placed horses thus performance is linked to the ability to participate in the final.
Unplaced Hurdles
During 2025 it was agreed by the NH Working Group to amend the conditions of Maiden Hurdles (Not Placed All Rules), which were for horses that have run at least 3 times and not finished in the first 3. These races are now for horses that have run at least twice, not finished in the first 4 and have not run in a Graded WFA race.
Cross-Country Ballot Changes
In consultation with the team at Punchestown and selected trainers, improvements have been made to the balloting rules for Cross-Country races. The ballot rules will now provide first protection to winners over Cross-Country courses in previous seasons followed by placed horses thus rewarding those horses who target these races and have no alternative races to aim towards. Those wishing to secure a run at the Punchestown festival races would likely benefit from running in November or February in order to improve the likelihood of running at the Festival.
Furthermore the Cross-Country race on the Saturday of the Punchestown festival which has suffered from larger than average non-runners will now be subject to a re-ballot which will move those entered for Saturday which run in the Ladies Cup (excluding 1st, 2nd and 3rd) and all horses declared to run in the La Touche Cup down the ballot list thus allowing horses which wish to target the Saturday race to do so with a better chance of running in the race.
With the National Hunt season taking shape both on the course and in the sales ring, it is timely to outline the strategy which HRI are committed to progressing to support National Hunt racing at all levels.
