Oxx hits out at Paddy Power chief

A WAR of words broke out in Leinster House yesterday when leading horse trainer, John Oxx, accused the chief executive of bookmaking firm Paddy Power plc, Patrick Kennedy, of ‘disdain’ towards the Irish racing industry.

The meeting to discuss the future funding of the horse and greyhound racing industries blew up as it drew to a conclusion, when Kennedy claimed that Irish racing was “not world class”.

The CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, Brian Kavanagh, rejected the claim as “absurd”, stating that the last two world champion racehorses (Sea The Stars, New Approach) were Irish, seven of the winners at the recent Cheltenham festival were trained in Ireland, 18 of them were ridden by Irish jockeys and Aidan O’Brien had been champion trainer in the UK on two occasions.