Prize money surges in racing, despite dip in attendance
GOLDEN ERA: Galopin Des Champs won the Cheltenham Gold Cup last March, one of a host of big-race wins for Irish-trained horses in 2023. Picture: Healy Racing
The number of people attending racing last year was down narrowly on 2022 but there has been significant increases in betting revenue at Irish racecourses.
Figures released by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) have revealed a largely positive set of financial returns for the industry, particularly through commercial income and prize money.
Betting at Irish racecourses has risen to €80.5m in total on-course activity, including bets through Tote exchanges, increasing by 5.9% on 2022.
The same percentage increase was experienced by on-course bookmakers rising to €59.9m in the betting ring — up 5.1% — with another €9.9m invested through on-course SP shops — up 11.2%.
A total prize purse of €68.12m was recorded for 2023, up 2.1% on 2022, while the amount of money won in the UK by Irish horses was £16.74m, up 40%.
Irish-trained horses won €10.39m across the rest of the world, a figure which again revealed a significant increase, up 30% on the €7.94m in 2022.
The HRI figures contain a significant breakdown of figures which the organisation says points “to an underlying stability in Irish racing and breeding”.
Commercial sponsorship at HRI is also up from €5.79m in 2022 to €6.3m last year, an increase of 8.8%, while the European Breeders Fund sponsorship increased narrowly to €2.67m.
Attendances at racecourses across the country were slightly down on 2023, with 1.23m people attending races last year, compared to 1.24m the previous year, a 1% drop.
The same number of races took place over the past two years, with that number sitting at 2,877, while the total entry figure was down in 2023 to 68,351 from 72,547 — an almost 6% drop.
The current numbers reveal that 32,725 entries were registered in Flat races last year, against 35,626 in National Hunt.
After eliminations, which stood at 8,499, the total numbers of entries was 33,542, a 3.6% drop on the year before.
The number of horses which actually ran in 2023 was 8,058, with 2,102 winning races and 5,460 placed.
In total there were 10,444 horses in-training in Ireland in 2023, an increase on the 10,208 from 2022.
The number of owners is slightly down on 2022, with 4,698 registered, a drop of 1.2% on the previous year, however the number of syndicates was up 4%, with 858 now in operation.
HRI CEO Suzanne Eade said: “These figures more than demonstrate that the Irish racing and breeding industry remains in a strong position despite recent challenges and the cost-of-living crisis that now extends into its third year.
“Each has posed a particular threat and yet, with the support of government and the industry’s continued ability to attract foreign direct investment, the figures continue to hold up.”
