Punters place €230m at race meetings
Punters gambled more than €230m at race meetings in Ireland last year, it emerged today.
With courses pulling in record attendances, Horse Racing Ireland revealed €176m was bet with on-course bookies.
Brian Kavanagh, HRI chief executive, said festival meetings at Punchestown, the Curragh, Galway, Listowel and Leopardstown were the star performers in 2005.
And he noted the successes of Irish horses, trainers and jockeys in some of the world’s biggest races.
“Irish trained horses won over €11m in prize money overseas. Nine winners at Cheltenham and eight at Aintree surpassed our most optimistic expectations,” he said.
Some 1.43m people enjoyed a day at the races gambling an average of €165.
Mr Kavanagh praised the historic exploits of Frances Crowley, the first licensed female trainer to win an Irish Classic, and Nina Carberry, the first woman to beat the top professionals in the game at the Cheltenham Festival.
He noted the number of newcomers to racing, in particular young people socialising at festival and summer evening meetings.
“Young socialisers, including more women than before, are trying racing for the first time. The task now is to retain their loyalty and make them informed and committed race-goers who will enjoy the racing experience for many years to come,” he said.
Mr Kavanagh noted the improvements and developments due to go ahead at Navan, Killarney, Dundalk and Galway race tracks. And he said plans for the flagship projects at the Curragh and Leopardstown will be presented to the HRI Board.
Fairyhouse will also be incorporated into HRI Racecourses to ensure the future of racing at the Co Meath track.
The HRI statistics for 2005 showed on-course betting was up 1.6% to €236.7m. The Tote grew by 3.8% to €49.3m. Bookmaker betting on-course, which was down €6.6m after six months gained from the buoyancy in the second half of the year showing growth of €1.6m by the end of the year to €176.1m.
The total number of fixtures, including Northern Ireland, was 313 compared to 305 last year pulling in 44,000 more punters than 2004. Prize money looks set to increase to €56m in the next 12 months.
Mr Kavanagh noted bloodstock sales at public auction grew by 28.7% to €145.6m.
“The racing and bloodstock industry is a major contributor to the economy generating employment in excess of 16,500 persons,” he said.
“The breeding sector alone contributes 330m euro to the economy and accounts for over 10% of all livestock output.”
