Ballyhane Stud extends Irish EBF race sponsorship with breeder incentive

Ballyhane Stud and the Irish European Breeders Fund have renewed their long-running race sponsorship, confirming a seventh consecutive year backing the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas Racecourse, while adding a new breeders’ raffle to the 2026 sponsorship package.

The sponsored race, which will take place on Bank Holiday Monday, 3 August, remains the richest contest of its kind in Ireland, restricted to EBF-eligible two-year-olds whose sire achieved a median auction price of €75,000 or less.

Since its launch in 2020, the €200,000 median auction race has become a cornerstone of the Irish flat racing calendar, attracting leading owners, trainers and breeders and reinforcing its commercial relevance within the bloodstock sector.

Beyond the renewal itself, the sponsorship has been expanded with the introduction of a Breeders’ Raffle for 2026. Under the initiative, two breeders with two-year-olds entered at the initial stage on 11 March will be randomly selected to receive a free nomination to one of Ballyhane Stud’s stallions, Magnum Force or Sakheer. The nominations will be valid during the current breeding season.

Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud, said Ballyhane Stud was pleased to continue sponsoring the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes for 2026, describing it as “a tremendously exciting race to sponsor”, and highlighted the breeders’ raffle as a “tangible reward for breeders” that adds “another layer of interest” at the early entry stage.

Nessa Joyce, manager of Irish EBF, said the renewed sponsorship reflects a “shared commitment to supporting connections at every level of the sport”, noting that the race has become “an important race for EBF-eligible two-year-olds”, with the addition of the breeders’ raffle further enhancing its “value and appeal”.

Discover the full details of the renewed sponsorship and breeder initiative in the original article.

(Photo credits to EBF Stallions official website)