The post-Covid future for Ireland's horse breeders

All eyes involved in horse-racing will be on next week's Listowel Harvest Festival, with the impact of the pandemic, events being cancelled, Brexit upheaval, the war in Ukraine and rising costs all impacting the sector

Numbers attending the Listowel Harvest Festival will be closely watched in the current economic climate. Picture: Healy Racing

There is a good reason why the September race meeting in Listowel is called the Harvest Festival — it was traditionally a place where farmers and their families came to relax for a few days after a busy year working on the land.

They looked for inside information on horses, placed bets, engaged in witty banter with the bookies, met old friends, had a few drinks, enjoyed the music and embraced the fresh sea breeze back the road in Ballybunion.