Seven European races have been identified as being at risk of losing their Group One status next year.

The mile-and-a-quarter (2000m) Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in late May has been the starting point in a campaign for many a superstar but is one of the races named at risk by the European Pattern Committee.

It has been won by such stars of the turf as Daylami in 1998, Montjeu (2000), Fantastic Light (2001) and Hurricane Run (2006) and in more recent times by So You Think in 2011 and 2012 and Al Kazeem, who upset Camelot in 2013.

However, the race tends to attract just a handful of runners and Noble Mission beat just four rivals last season.

One of the other races that could be downgraded in 2016 is the Prix Royal-Oak. Run over just short of two miles (3200m) at Longchamp in late October, the stamina test has been a favourite target for British stayers and has been won for the past two years by the Marco Botti-trained Tac De Boistron.

Its biggest winner in recent seasons was the Aidan O'Brien-trained Yeats in 2008, winner of the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot four years in a row from 2006 to 2009.