Ruby Walsh: It's vital the HRI maintain control of fixtures list
SMART PROSPECT: Ile Atlantique cruises to victory at Gowran Park in November. He steps up to Grade One company in Naas on Sunday. Picture: Healy Racing
A new year signalled a new dawn for Irish racing, but it will take considered minds to make it work, and knee-jerk reactions from those without the sport’s best interest in mind could see us follow the UK in becoming the easiest place to win rather than the best place.
Last Monday, the landscape changed forever for Irish racecourses when the new performance-related media rights deal kicked into action. The golden goose that was payment-per-race is gone forever, and now how much is bet on each race, driven by the streaming market, will determine the income each racecourse receives.
