Gold Cup raised in status

The Tattersalls Gold Cup, to be run at the Curragh on May 23rd, has been upgraded to Group One status.

It's the first time an Irish race has been upgraded to Group One status since the National Stakes in 1985 and brings the total number of Irish Group One races to 10.

The 10-furlong race, confined to older horses, has been won by the likes of Daylami, Dance Design and Opera House and in recent years its ratings have surpassed those required for a Group One contest.

The Curragh manager, Brian Kavanagh, said yesterday: "We have worked to increase the quality of runners in this race in recent years and are delighted that the European Pattern Committee has sanctioned the upgrade.

"The race is ideally placed between the Dubai World Cup and the Epsom and Royal Ascot meetings and will add greatly to the prestige of our Guineas festival weekend."

In other changes, the Blandford Stakes has been dropped from Group Two to Group Three status and will be run four weeks earlier than previously, on September 20th. Also, the Budweiser International Stakes, run on Irish Derby day, will increase in distance from eight to nine furlongs.

Winter weather claimed another victim when today's scheduled meeting at Sedgefield was called off because of frost and snow on the track. And tomorrow's meeting at Wetherby is "hanging in the balance", a spokesman for the course said yesterday.