Half-year figures show continuing buoyancy in racing

THE half-year figures, released by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) yesterday, show continuing buoyancy in racing despite the counter-attractions of the World Cup and a run of bad weather which saw over fifteen meetings, principally in May, cancelled.

On-course bookmaker betting grew by €3.7m to almost €82m, while the Tote grew by €0.6m to €21.4m.

Sponsors continue to respond enthusiastically to racing’s growing popularity, increasing their investment in the sport by 3% to €3.5m. Prize-money increased by €0.6m to €24.2m.