BHA announce race upgrades

The British Horseracing Authority have announced the upgrade of three Listed prizes in the Flat calendar to Group Three status.

The EBF Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock on June 2, the RSA Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood on August 3 and the Atalanta Stakes at Sandown on September 1 will all carry greater prestige from this year, thanks to the subsequent exploits of each race’s winners.

Folk Opera went on to strike at the highest level after scoring on Merseyside in 2008 and the likes of subsequent Group One winners Cape Cross (1997) and Court Masterpiece (2003) have been successful at Goodwood.

Plenty of high-class fillies have struck in the Atalanta Stakes and BHA director of racing Ruth Quinn feels each race deserves the upgrade.

She said: “The high calibre of past winners speaks for itself as justification for the upgrade of these races.

“All three have produced subsequent Group One winners in recent years and we are delighted they have been recognised by the European Pattern Committee.

“We are very proud of the continuing high standard of the black-type programme in Britain.”

As part of the resulting reshuffle of the Pattern, the Henry II Stakes at Sandown has been downgraded from Group Two to Group Three and the Select Stakes, which was previously run at Goodwood in September, has been discontinued.