Smaller yards in Ireland to receive a boost as William Hill announce sponsorship of new series worth €135,000

William Hill will back a new jumps series in Ireland for trainers, jockeys and stable staff worth €135,000 to yards with fewer than 50 winners in either of the last two seasons.

The William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series begins on Friday at Gowran Park and will run over seven months, spread across 50 races at 28 meetings across 13 Irish tracks.

The initiative was initially proposed this year by the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA), when it was among a number of suggested changes to the programme. It has also been supported by Irish Stable Staff Association and the Irish Jockeys Association.

Maiden hurdles, handicap hurdles, novice and beginners' chases, handicap chases and bumpers will be included. Trainers with 50 or more winners in either of the last two seasons, such as Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead and Gavin Cromwell, are not eligible for the final bonus prize, but they are permitted to compete in the races.

This follows an HRI proposal to exclude the same group of trainers from 60 races in 2025, which was subsequently scrapped after a review in May.

The new series will kick off at Gowran Park on FridayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Each race will see points allocated to trainers and jockeys in the first seven places, with an overall table determining the winners at the final fixture at Kilbeggan on April 24. 

The winning trainer will earn €50,000, the runner-up €25,000 and the third €10,000, with prizes down to tenth place. The top three riders and stable staff will receive €10,000, €5,000 and €2,500 respectively.

Jockeys who ride for a qualifying trainer will earn bonus points, but those who ride for ineligible trainers will not receive series points for those rides. Stable staff from all yards will qualify for the bonus scheme and a €100 best-turned-out award will be given to the staff for each race.

William Hill's director of horse racing, Sandro Di Michele, said: "We’re thrilled to launch the new William Hill Each Way Extra Challenge Series. This initiative runs through the real backbone of the Irish jumps season and should have a positive impact on the grassroots of the sport. 

"We really want to position William Hill at the heart of Irish racing, and we believe this series is the perfect way of doing that. We’re excited to see action get under way on Friday at Gowran, and we look forward to the series’ narrative building through the campaign.” 

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