HRI announce dates and venues for Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races

We are delighted with the venues for the first seven Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races. The races will all be run over a distance in excess of two miles and it is our intention that all races will have circa 10 hurdles.

Jonathan Mullin, Director of Racing at HRI

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has today announced dates and venues for seven Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races.

The first of these races will be at Cork Racecourse on Sunday, October 12 and will run through to the end of December. Fairyhouse, Punchestown, Navan, Naas and Leopardstown are the other courses hosting races.

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races will be open to three-year-old horses which have not had any previous run under either Rules of Racing or I.N.H.S. Rules other than in Academy Hurdle races. Horses that run in any of these races can continue their careers in bumpers, maiden hurdles or point-to-points.

Jonathan Mullin, Director of Racing at HRI, said: “We are delighted with the venues for the first seven Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races. The races will all be run over a distance in excess of two miles and it is our intention that all races will have circa 10 hurdles.

"Each of the races offer a sales voucher, similar to the IRE Incentive for the owners of any eligible Irish-bred horse which wins or is placed either second or third. Each winning owner will receive a €5,000 voucher while the owners of the runner-up and the third-placed horses will each receive €3,000 and €2,000 respectively.

“Additionally, the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s (ITBA) support of Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races will now see all races benefit from being part of the Weatherbys National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme (in association with The Irish Field). This means that three-year-old Irish-bred fillies that win an Irish EBF Academy Hurdle in 2025 will be awarded an additional €7,500 bonus on top of the race prize money and will still be eligible for the €5,000 scheme bonuses available if subsequently winning a bumper, a steeplechase, but not a maiden hurdle.”

Full list of dates and venues for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Academy Hurdle races:
 

Track	Date	Distance
Cork	Sun 12/10/2025	2m 1f
Fairyhouse	Tue 04/11/2025	2m 1f
Punchestown	Thu 13/11/2025	2m 2f 110y
Cork	Sun 23/11/2025	2m 1f
Navan	Sat 06/12/2025	2m 1f
Naas	Mon 15/12/2025	2m 1f
Leopardstown	Mon 29/12/2025	2m 2f