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What Are Premier Handicaps? New Rules To Replace Grade 3 & Listed Handicaps

October 31, 2022

county handicap hurdle board at cheltenham racecourse gold cup dayThe British Horseracing Authority has confirmed that it has decided to re-brand Grade 3 races with the new moniker of Premier Handicaps.

The idea behind the move is that the horse race watching public sometimes fail to understand the level of Grade 3 races, feeling that the use of ‘3’ in their title put them far beneath Grade 1 and Grade 2 events.

The reality, of course, is that Grade 3 races were always prestigious, as those that know that the Grand National was a Grade 3 event will attest to. Regardless, this move should make things clearer.

At the same time as renaming Grade 3 races to Premier Handicaps, Listed handicap races have been removed from the roster altogether. Handicap races that have previously come under the Listed title have been moved, either getting upgraded to become Premier Handicap or Grade 2 races, or else dropped down to Class 2 offerings.  Other Listed races, such as standard open flat races, remain as listed.

Notably the only Listed handicap to get upgraded to Grade 2 was the EBF Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase on day two of the April Meeting at Cheltenham.  Two Cheltenham listed hurdles were, however, downgraded to Class 2; the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle also at the April Meeting and the Regulatory Finance Solutions Hurdle at the November Meeting.

There is also the sense that the move is an attempt to level the playing field with Irish racing, which has been out-performing their British counterparts. In 2021, for example, Irish runners won 23 of the 28 races that were run during the Cheltenham Festival.

Which Races Are Getting Re-Branded

coral cup ladies day race information board

Before we look at what is going on with the re-branding and why it is happening, it is worth taking a closer look at the actually races that are being changed.

As you might imagine, we have a specific focus on Cheltenham’s races here, but there are events at meetings across the National Hunt calendar that are shifting around and becoming Premier Handicaps as a result of the BHA’s decision.

Here is a look at the Cheltenham races that have become Premier Handicaps first, as well as the date that each race should be taking place in the 2022-2023 season.  These were all Grade 3 races to begin with:

Race Planned Date
Paddy Power Gold Cup 12th November 2022
Jewson Handicap Chase 13th November 2022
Greatwood Handicap Hurdle 13th November 2022
Betfair Handicap Chase 9th December 2022
Racing Post Gold Cup Handicap Chase 10th December 2022
Paddy Power Handicap Chase 1st January 2023
Handicap Chase 28th January 2023
Ultima Handicap Chase 14th March 2023
Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 14th March 2023
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle 15th March 2023
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase 15th March 2023
Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle 16th March 2023
Plate Handicap Hurdle 16th March 2023
County Handicap Hurdle 17th March 2023
Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 20th April 2023

Here are the rest of the races shifting to become Premier Handicaps, alongside the date that they should be taking place as well as the racecourse that they will be running on and the previous classification that is now changing:

Race Course Planned Date Previous Classification
bet365Handicap Chase Wetherby 28th October 2022 Listed
Byrne Group Handicap Chase Ascot 29th October 2022 Listed
Bateaux London Gold Cup Ascot 29th October 2022 Grade 3
Badger Beer Handicap Chase Wincanton 5th November 2022 Listed
Betfair Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle Haydock 19th November 2022 Grade 3
Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase Newbury 26th November 2022 Grade 3
Rehearsal Handicap Chase Newcastle 26th November 2022 Listed
Becher Handicap Chase Aintree 3rd December 2022 Grade 3
Silver Cup Handicap Chase Ascot 17th December 2022 Listed
Betfair Exchange Trophy Handicap Hurdle Ascot 17th December 2022 Grade 3
Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase Wetherby 26th December 2022 Grade 3
Welsh Grand National Chepstow 27th December 2022 Grade 3
Classic Handicap Chase Warwick 14th January 2023 Grade 3
Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle Ascot 21st January 2023 Class 2
Sky Bet Handicap Chase Doncaster 28th January 2023 Listed
Heroes Handicap Hurdle Sandown 4th February 2023 Grade 3
Betfair Hurdle Newbury 11th February 2023 Grade 3
Swinley Handicap Chase Ascot 18th February 2023 Listed
Grand National Trial Handicap Chase Haydock 18th February 2023 Grade 3
Coral Trophy Handicap Chase Kempton 25th February 2023 Grade 3
Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase Newbury 4th March 2023 Grade 3
EBF Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Sandown 11th March 2023 Grade 3
Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle Sandown 11th March 2023 Grade 3
Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase Sandown 11th March 2023 Listed
Midlands Grand National Uttoxeter 18th March 2023 Listed
Red Rum Handicap Chase Aintree 13th April 2023 Grade 3
Aintree Handicap Hurdle Aintree 14th April 2023 Grade 3
Topham Handicap Chase Aintree 14th April 2023 Grade 3
Aintree Handicap Hurdle Aintree 15th April 2023 Grade 3
Betway Handicap Chase Aintree 15th April 2023 Grade 3
Grand National Aintree 15th April 2023 Grade 3
Scotty Brand Handicap Chase Ayr 22nd April 2023 Listed
Scottish Grand National Ayr 22nd April 2023 Grade 3
Bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase Sandown 29th April 2023 Grade 3
Swinton Handicap Hurdle Haydock 13th May 2023 Grade 3
Summer Plate Handicap Chase Market Rasen 22nd July 2023 Grade 3

What Is Happening?

classificationNow that we know which races it is that are changing, it is worth discussing what, exactly, is happening. The answer is that the British Horseracing Authority has decided to shake things up a wee bit when it comes to the different classifications of races.

Previously, there have been Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 races on the National Hunt calendar. The levels of races were all slightly different from each other, but all had a degree of prestige attached to them. The problem, in the eyes of the BHA at least, was that many casual viewers of horse racing didn’t appreciate that Grade 3 events were worthy.

As a result, the decision was taken to re-brand them as Premier Handicaps, believing that the addition of the word ‘Premier’ will give people the correct idea of the level of the races concerned. Alongside this re-brand, there is also a general shifting of the races further down the National Hunt Pattern.

Listed handicap races are being removed completely, with the events that have previously come under this category either being promoted or else demoted. Those that are good enough will become a Premier Handicap or Grade 2 events, whilst those that aren’t will drop down to become Class 2 races.

Why Are They Making The Change?

why word with question mark

The obvious question that you might want to ask is why it is that the changes are being made. Whilst we’ve already mentioned the BHA’s desire to make the level of the races clearer to more casual racing fans, there is also a sense that it will allow British racing to be more competitive against their Irish counterparts.

In 2021, the Cheltenham Festival featured 28 races and 23 of them were won by Irish runners. That was a humiliation for British trainers, leading to a need to improve the performances moving forward, which this could help with.

Given the fact that Irish trainers have won the Prestbury Cup on six out of the last seven occasions, it is a factor that needs to be dealt with. The Jump Pattern Committee, featuring the likes of Emma Lavelle and Paul Nicholls, believes that the future of British racing would be improved focussing on the ‘size and shape’ of the upper tier of the British jump racing Pattern.

Part of that will include higher financial reward for owners, should they choose to compete in the highest-level contests in the sport. The first race that will kick-off the new-look Premier Handicaps is the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November.

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