THE Irish European Breeders’ Fund appointed Joe Foley of Ballyhane Stud as its new chairman and Tom Gaffney of Castlehyde Stud as deputy chairman at the recent annual general meeting.

Joe Foley became a governor on the board of the Irish EBF in 2002 and was appointed deputy chairman in 2017 where he worked alongside outgoing chairman, John O’Connor of Ballylinch Stud.

Tom Gaffney has served on the Irish EBF for 21 years, representing Coolmore Stud, and brings a wealth of experience from his role as chairman of Cork Racecourse.

Foley said: “The Irish EBF board will be forever grateful to John O’Connor for his leadership, dedication, diligence and fairness over the last 10 years in his role as chairman.

“He continually upheld the ethos of the Irish EBF and represented the board both at home and at a European level to the highest standards. He gave his time voluntarily to deal with EBF matters and always deliberated with both the small and large stallion owner in mind.

“He is passing on the leadership of the Irish EBF in very good health and we are delighted that he is staying on the board to help guide us into the future.”

Gaffney commented: “I see first-hand how racecourses benefit from Irish EBF race sponsorship which greatly enhance the race-day programme with added benefits for owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff.

“I am looking forward to working with Joe on Irish EBF matters and continuing the great work carried out over the last number of years.”

The Irish European Breeders’ Fund is Irish racing’s largest sponsor and this year’s allocation to Irish racing is at its highest level ever with a commitment of €2.6 million.

This will bring the overall contribution to €52 million since the foundation of the Irish EBF in 1983. The spend encompasses over 320 flat races and 160 National Hunt races that carry EBF conditions throughout the year.