Irish horse racing is in the midst of a boom at the moment and the industry’s upward trajectory is showing no signs of slowing down.
The sector delivered €2.46 billion to the Irish economy in 2022 – an increase of more than a third from the figures reported seven years ago.
The recent Royal Ascot meeting highlighted how Irish trainers are riding the wave of positivity right now, recorded a record haul of 12 winners over the five days.
Irish-bred horses won 18 of the 35 races to deliver plenty of winning returns for punters who use breeding information to inform their wagering activities.
Many leading betting sites were running for cover whenever Aidan O’Brien had a fancied runner, with the top trainer sending several potential superstars to the Berkshire track.
The results at Royal Ascot crowned a hectic period of headline news for Irish racing – all of which has sparked plenty of debate on social media.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) were at the forefront of one major story involving trainer Ronan McNally’s appeal against his ban from the sport.
He was hit with a 12-year ban and a £44,000 fine earlier this year after being found guilty of stopping horse performing to their best to secure lenient handicap ratings.
Many people in the sport felt the ban was excessive, but his appeal has resulted in the 12-year period remaining intact, albeit with the last four years suspended.
However, upcoming rule changes will remove the ban on him attending race meetings and he will be allowed to watch his son’s career as a jockey develop in person.
Another notable recent development in Irish racing was the announcement that all 26 of the country’s racetracks will be shown live on Racing TV from 2024 to 2029.
Five tracks initially rejected the deal, but were persuaded to come on board after extensive negotiations over the past few weeks.
Horse Racing Ireland will now work closely with every racecourse and their media rights partners to maximise future revenue streams under the new deal.