Valiant Stakes and Marble Hill Stakes upgraded to Group status

The Valiant Stakes at Ascot, and Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh will be staged as Group 3s this season with the two races upgraded from Listed status following the latest annual meeting of the European Pattern Committee.

Subsequent Group 1 winner Siskin won the Marble Hill last year for Ger Lyons, while Duneflower went on to be a runner-up twice at Group 3 level after winning the Valiant Stakes.

The committee also approved the reduction in distance to seven furlongs (from a mile) for the Group 1 Jean Luc Lagardere on Arc day at Longchamp, while the Group 1 Criterium International will revert to a mile, both as part of a two-year trial. France Galop will also be undertaking a full review of the situation for two-year-olds in France.

In Italy, the outlook remains challenging, with the Group 2 Derby Italiano on the list of races at risk of being downgraded.

The committee received a report from Dr Paull Khan of the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation on the situation regarding Italian horseracing and an ongoing EMHF inspection process.

The committee noted that the situation had not changed by any meaningful margin from the previous year and reaffirmed its decision that Italy remain as an associated member of the European Pattern Committee with no voting rights.

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