THE cancellation of the Breeders’ Championship has left a vacuum for breedingstock exhibitors, although the bumped-up prizemoney in Saturday morning’s Coote Cup classes has held entries steady.

Now sponsored by The Irish Field, these broodmare and foal classes are also supported by Horse Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

First prize in the three broodmare classes has increased from €595 to €2,000, with an additional €470 for the overall broodmare champion.

Similarly, prizemoney for the first-placed foals in the colt and filly classes rises from €160 to €1,000; conversely, the payout for the winner of the thoroughbred parent foal class drops from €3,000 to €1,250.

The other good news is a later start for the Coote Cup classes, (the opening middle/heavyweight broodmare class kicks off at 11am), with the mini classes drawing the short straw with a 7.30am start in Ring 1.

Judges Jane Holderness-Roddam and David Dixon pay a welcome return visit for the six classes before the Coote Cup broodmare championship. An overall foal championship is still lacking from the programme.

Champions return

Next Saturday will see the confirmed number of entries; what we do know is John Roche will have his usual fleet of Assagart mares, including previous champion and lightweight class winner Assagart Fairytale (Coroner).

Both Roche’s 2025 champion Assagart Hopeful (Castleforbes Lord Lancer) and Dessie Gibson’s reserve Drumbo Bluebell (Silvano) return for Round 2.

Likewise, Derry Rothwell’s Greenhall team will be back, led by Greenhall Push Button (Financial Reward), a previous hunter mare champion and Breeders’ Championship finalist.

Paula Howard indicated after their Athlone Breeders’ win that her Tullabeg Hello (Hiello) and her colt foal Timpany Soldier Blue (Cascari) were Dublin-bound; likewise, we can expect to see the recent Banner Breeders champion pair from Clarecastle: Hurst Show Team’s Kibracken Cornet Queen (Orestus) and Tattygare Kalone (Ermitage Kalone) in Ring 1.

Other ‘frequent fliers’ in these classes include Valerie Davis’s Becca Baby (O.B.O.S Quality) and her United Spirit VD Watermoelen filly; while that mare’s breeder Pat Finn was planning to return with Penelopé (Jardonnay VDL) and her Hardrock VDL colt and daughter Ruth Keane’s Oilily (Entertainer) was earmarked for the stinted mare class.

A Dublin return visit was always on the cards for Loretta Hanley’s Be In The Moment Elm (Barely A Moment) and her Der Senaat 111 filly, constant winners this summer, while the stinted mare class was the plan for Margaret Jeffares’s Ballykelly Countess (Gortfree Hero).

Miss Saturday morning’s classes? The Coote Cup champion and reserve mares will be in Sunday’s pre-Grand Prix parade.