Prizemoney, attendances and betting turnover down as recession bites

HORSE Racing Ireland yesterday announced 6-month figures, which emphasise what a difficult period it has been for Irish racing.

Prizemoney was down by 14% and attendances to the tune of 17%. The Tote was also down by 17% and bookmaker betting 22%.

Fixtures declined by 4% and races 5%. Trainers are seeing a decline in horse numbers, which are down 4%, with total runners down by 8%. Prize money fell by €3.9m (14%), while commercial sponsorship declined by 25%.