Latest horse racing industry data shows some surprising trends Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) issued the key industry stats for the first six months of this year last week and overall it was a mixed bag. Attendance figures raise data accuracy questions We are told attendances were up considerably on the same period last year, but I’m not convinced you can trust these particular figures. Even HRI doesn’t appear too confident in these numbers as they place an asterisk beside the total attendance figures to let people know that the numbers quoted are supplied by each racecourse and not collated by themselves. 566,377 people attended race meetings in the first six months of this year, which we are told is up 6.9% on the 529,581 from the same period last year. Unfortunately, the attendance figure quoted for the first six months of 2024 doesn’t tally with the number issued this time last year by HRI when we were informed 535,831 people had attended in the first six months of 2024. That’s 6,250 shaved off last year’s published figure. I wonder what happened there? Racecourse attendances should be one of the key metrics used to determine the state of the industry. In this digital age with online ticketing systems it shouldn’t take too much of an effort by HRI to enforce strict reporting measures from the racecourses to ensure accurate numbers. Afterall, growing the attendances at racecourses is a primary goal of HRI and the governing body already owns four of the racecourses, as well as having a significant stake in others. On-course betting figures show strong growth On-course bookmaker figures were one of the biggest movers in the stats table for the first six months of the year. Turnover with the bookies in the ring was €31.5m, which rose by a whopping 16.6% compared to the same period last year. Breaking this number down by attendances for the same period, it works out that on average each racegoer wagered €55 with the on-track bookies. That is a very significant amount considering how many of those punters would also have online accounts accessible from their phones. The rise in betting with the on-course bookies in the first half of this year follows on from a 4.3% increase in 2023 compared to the previous year and a further 6.8% increase on that number in 2024. This certainly indicates that the betting ring continues to be an integral part of the race day experience. One surprising trend that must be of concern to the authorities is the decline in the number of horses competing on the Flat. While the National Hunt side of the sport is holding up well enough numerically, on the Flat the number of runners in the first half of the year continues to slide, 6,803 (2023), 6,488 (2024) to 6,312 (2025). We are currently in year two of HRI’s latest 5-year plan and already a number of the stated goals are looking unachievable. Fixtures were forecast to increase by 10% over the life of the plan and this in turn would help attain other aims such as increasing the number of international owners, increasing media rights money and also prize money. It now seems as if simply maintaining the current level of annual fixtures will be the best that can be hoped for with average field sizes tracking at under 11.5 runners. One other interesting observation from the latest HRI release is that the changes made to this year’s Irish Derby Day card at the Curragh - six handicaps and no other Group race besides the Derby - didn’t have the desired effect on World Pool turnover on the event. Tote World Pool turnover on the nine races on Derby Day fell from €28.1m (2024) to €27.3m (2025). 'If the trainer expresses any dissatisfaction at all with the ride he gets off scot-free' Changing the subject, 16 words from trainer Philip Rothwell last week, that were relayed to the Ballinrobe stewards, helped him avoid a €3,000 fine. A horse trained by Rothwell was the subject of a running and riding enquiry following its performance in a maiden hurdle on Tuesday and in these cases if the trainer accepts that the jockey rode to his instructions and is happy with the ride he will face the wrath of the stewards. On the other hand, if the trainer expresses any dissatisfaction at all with the ride he gets off scot-free. “The rider could have been seen to make more of an effort in the closing stages” is the get out of jail free card used by Philip Rothwell in this instance. Tiernan Power Roche, Rothwell’s regular jockey, was suspended for 14 days over the ride he gave Coolboy Christy in the maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe and the horse itself has been banned from racing for 60 days, but there is no sanction against the trainer when it would be standard practice to fine him €3,000. The sanctions imposed in a similar running and riding enquiry over the performance of Ta Na La at Wexford in May saw the rider in that case suspended for 14 days, the horse banned from racing for 60 days and the trainer fined €3,000. But, on that occasion, trainer Ted Walsh appealed his fine and had it wiped out in its entirety because he stated that his rider “didn’t make enough effort to show the racing public that he was achieving his best possible position.” 17 words from Walsh, 16 from Rothwell, but they had the exact same result. In both cases the trainer was cleared of any wrongdoing and didn’t have to pay a fine. Thankfully, there will be no call for ‘running and riding’ enquiries this week as it is the Galway Races, where it would be considered a cardinal sin for a jockey not to be seen to make sufficient effort in the biggest betting races of the year.
