Prize money in Irish Horse Racing is now 24% less than it was in 2008 and is in danger of losing ground to other countries where a similar fall has already started to be reversed.
This was the message from Joe Keeling, Chairman of Horse racing Ireland to the sports Annual Awards at Leopardstown racecourse yesterday. Keeling said he was urging the governing body to increase prize money for 2014 and also to implement a 10% reduction in the cost of central services to owners, trainers and others involved in the running of the sport.
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney also addressed the gathering and stressed that Government was bringing forward legislation to enable the streamlining of the administration of the sport through a closer structure and greater transparency on costs between Horse Racing Ireland and the Turf Club which runs most of the sports integrity services.
The template for this was outlined in a report by Indecon in 2012 but delays in getting legislation right have meant a lag in implementation.
Similar problems have beset new legislation around online betting and gaming which the Government hopes to bring up to date with reference to overseas licensed companies and a point of consumption tax for Irish bettors at some point in 2014.
The Awards themselves recognised Ireland’s continued dominance of the sport at a global level with main awards for Johnny Murtagh, Willie Mullins and Hurricane Fly.
It was noted and celebrated that 2013 was the first year in which Irish trained horses came home with 14 of the 27 prizes on offer during the four day festival of Championship racing. This was added to during the year with victories in English Classics including the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and St Leger as well as at the season ending Breeders’ Cup in California.
Jim Bolger won a Lifetime Achievement Award recognising his contribution to the sport.
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