The Directors of the IHRB, at their Board Meeting on June, 26 2024 approved the following changes to Rule 212A Running and Riding Offences and Regulation 6 Claiming Races which will become effective on July 1, 2024:  

Rule 212A Running and Riding Offences

212A      (iv)

1. a) Any Rider who fails to obtain their best possible placing as a result of negligent misjudgement (including a misjudgement of the winning post or the number of circuits, easing their mount without good reason or stopping riding) shall be guilty of an offence under this sub-rule.

        (b) Any Rider who appears to have misjudged the number of circuits shall be guilty of an offence under this sub-rule. In cases involving a Horse other than the winner, it shall not be a defence to an allegation this sub-rule has been breached that the Horse achieved its best possible placing.

REGULATION 6

The following text is proposed to be included in Regulation 6 between CLAIMING RACES and Submitting a Claim:

OPTIONAL CLAIMING RACES

1. Horses may be entered in Optional Claiming Races without the requirement to stipulate a claiming price.
2. The Trainer of any Horse entered in an Optional Claiming Race must, at time of entry, stipulate if the Horse has been entered to run and can be claimed or has been entered to run and cannot be claimed. This cannot be amended once the Race has been closed for entry.
3. All Horses entered in Optional Claiming Races to be claimed are subject to the Regulations outlined under subheading “CLAIMING RACES” above.
4. The weight to be carried by a Horse entered in an Optional Claiming Race not to be claimed is set out in the conditions of the Race as published in the Irish Racing Calendar and printed on the race card.

Other Rules this change to Regulation 6 will affect and proposed amendments to those rules to comply with changes

ii DEFINITIONS (addition to)

• "Optional Claiming Race" means a Claiming Race in which Horses may be entered to run without being available to be claimed.

 Appendix C REGULATIONS

• R6 – CLAIMING RACES AND OPTIONAL CLAIMING RACES 

RULES OF RACING AND I.N.H.S RULES INDEX

• “Optional Claiming Race“, definition of.....................................................1(ii)
• Claiming Races and Optional Claiming Races............................Regulation R6
• Regulation “Claiming Races and Optional Claiming Races” ......Regulation R6