Irish fixture list down slightly for 2010
Given the falling horse population (down 4% at half year point) and the reduced levels of runners and eliminations (down 8% and 6% respectively for January-June 2009), the total number of fixtures approved by the HRI Board will drop from 352 to 345 in 2010.
The Flat season will start at Dundalk on Friday evening, February 26th, although the races on this mixed card will be aimed at national hunt and dual purpose horses. There will then be a two week gap before the first all flat card on Friday evening 12th March. The flat season has been extended by two weeks and will conclude on Friday evening, December 10th.
In National Hunt, the Punchestown Festival will have a relatively early date (20th-24th April) in 2010 at the request of the racecourse, with the result that next year the National Hunt season will end on Saturday 24th April, the same date as in Britain.
The number of Mixed meetings has been reduced from 76 to 44. There are significant benefits of single code meetings from a cost perspective.
There remains twelve blank days during the summer months as per this year, but this will include an extra blank day in July, with no racing being programmed for the weekend before Galway (24th-25th July). There will be a four-day break for jump racing at the conclusion of the National Hunt season in April, while the summer break in the National Hunt season has been extended by one day (from 10 to 11 days) to run from Tuesday June 22nd to Friday 2nd July (inclusive).
Meanwhile Galway has requested to forego the fourth day of their late August/early September meeting in 2009 (their fixture on Tuesday evening 1st September 2009) given that it is a new date for this year which will be removed for 2010.
Galway wishes to promote their newly located late summer festival as a three-day meeting from the outset so as to offer a consistent fixture going forward. HRI has agreed to this request and has switched the meeting to Roscommon on Tuesday evening 8th September 2009, to form a two-day meeting as they already race on 7th September.
Said HRI Director of Racing, Jason Morris: “Now that we are seeing a gradual decline in the number of horses in training and runners, HRI has reacted accordingly by reducing the overall fixture list, with seven fewer meetings to be held in 2010. We have continued to place an emphasis on staging quality racing at times and venues that will best suit the racegoing public.”
Major racing festivals 2010: Cork Easter Festival (April 3-5th); Fairyhouse Easter Festival (April 4-6th); Punchestown NH Festival (April 20-24th); Killarney Spring Festival (May 9-11th); Listowel Whit Weekend (June 5-7th); Curragh Derby Festival (June 25-27th); Bellewstown (July 2-4th); Killarney July Festival (July 12-15th); Galway (July 26-Aug 1st); Tramore (Aug 12-15th); Killarney August Festival (Aug 17-20th); Galway (Aug 28-30th); Listowel (Sept 12-18th); Down Royal (Nov 5-6th); Fairyhouse Winter Festival (Nov 27-28th); Leopardstown (Dec 26-29th); Limerick ((Dec 26-29th).
