Not looking good across the water

Had a good day today and happy with the results but I have to say the amount of schooling in public that goes on in Ireland is a joke. I'm all for bringing young horses on slowly but not to the extent they don't even get in the race

The first 2 races and the novice chase qualify for at least a dozen jockeys under the non triers rules.

At no time did any of them make the slightest effort to go with the favourites in the race which is great for us punters but a real killer for the casual ew punter who has got 2 chances and ones a dog's chance.

It seems the mentality is WPM and Ruby are 1/2 fav no sense in even trying I better keep out of their way..........held up in rear never dangerous is the most used piece of form in Ireland
 
A change in labour legislation is having potentially important and probably unintended consequences for racing, which is no longer classified as an agricultural activity and therefore exempt from working hours legislation. Ballydoyle Stables is appealing a finding that they are not complying with the law and the rest of the industry is looking on to see what happens next.

This is the best article I've seen so far on the subject:

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/na...istential-threat-to-racing-industry-1.3371336
 
Ironically enough horses in EU are deemed agricultural animals re medication so the banning of bute and other medicines in food producing animals led to major problems in treating racehorses .
This led to a reclassification of racehorses having passports stamped as not for human consumption and vets having to declare if they keep horse specific medicines in their practice.
it can be argued that racing folk wanting to "have their bute and eat it " have created this labour problem where the participants are involved in an Agricultural business but the athletes (horses) are not; an Irish solution to an Irish problem.
Maybe Brexit is the way forward to preserve racing as we know it !
 
In the 2019 budget statement today the Minister for Finance, under pressure from a coterie of headbangers in a loosely associated coalition government, doubled turnover tax for the betting industry from 1% to 2%. I received this press release soon afterwards. Question: Armageddon or overreaction?

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Press Release: Betting tax doubled – wipes out Independent SectorToday’s announcement that the betting tax has doubled has just signed P45s for over 1500 jobs in the independent bookmaking sector, the majority in rural areas.It is the final blow for a sector of the industry that had already been in steep decline. Only 200 Independent shops survived the recession, with 450 closed over the last 8 years. Increasing the betting tax to 2% makes the majority of these remaining shops unviable, forces long standing family businesses into liquidation and creates totally unnecessary job losses across the country.We have long advised that this proposal carries significant risk and that it will fail to achieve the fantasy €50m that the Independent Alliance claimed. The instigators of this retrograde step have failed to either consult with or understand our industry and have shown complete disregard for the holistic nature of this issue by not factoring in the new costs and reducing revenue in the form of declining PRSI, VAT and ultimately turnover tax associated with these closures. It also ignores the revenue that will be lost to black market operators who will now thrive in areas where licensed bookmakers have to close.Sharon Byrne, Chairperson of the Irish Bookmakers Association said;"Already since the Budget measures were announced, I have spoken to a number of small independent bookmakers, some of whom have been in business for more than 40 years, who now believe they have no option but to let their staff go and close their doors. We predict that there will be 300 shops closed when the tax is enacted with the loss of at least 1500 jobs.It is extremely disappointing that the Government conceded to this demand by politicians who never engaged with the industry or understood the profound effect a turnover tax can have on so many jobs. As an industry we will continue to search for a way to address this regressive tax on jobs and businesses.”Ends

For further queries please contact
Sharon Byrne
Chairperson
www.IrishBookmakersAssociation.com
 
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Flame said:
Funding for horseracing slashed in Ireland


Brian Fleming​


IRELAND'S finance minister Brian Lenihan has announced cuts in funding to horseracing and greyhound racing of nearly ten per cent.

Speaking in his Budget speech on Tuesday, Lenihan said the reduction in the Horse & Greyhound Fund would reach €6.6 million.

That represents a decrease from €76.3m in 2008 to€69.7m in 2009.

Lenihan had earlier announced a doubling in the rate of betting tax, from 1 per cent to 2 per cent.

More to follow. . .
Click to expand...

Can we have an update on this please...
 
Brian Kavanagh CEO of HRI has announced the end of his 20 year tenure in September.
Jim Bolger and WP Mullins want him to remain in view of the contacts he has made and the Irish success story internationally.
With the recent deaths of Hamdan Al Maktoum and Prince Khalid Abdulla do we need a new face with new ideas to recruit a new generation of investors willing to part with a large fortune to end up with a small one ?
What about a carbon neutral approach to horse racing to combat the threat of global warming ?
What about the perception of cruelty from a public that are another generation away from the Land and it's earthy ways?
Should I apply for the job?
 
edgt said:
Brian Kavanagh CEO of HRI has announced the end of his 20 year tenure in September.
Jim Bolger and WP Mullins want him to remain in view of the contacts he has made and the Irish success story internationally.
With the recent deaths of Hamdan Al Maktoum and Prince Khalid Abdulla do we need a new face with new ideas to recruit a new generation of investors willing to part with a large fortune to end up with a small one ?
What about a carbon neutral approach to horse racing to combat the threat of global warming ?
What about the perception of cruelty from a public that are another generation away from the Land and it's earthy ways?
Should I apply for the job?
Click to expand...

All they have to do is make sure the government keep coughing up and it's a job for a corpse like Joe Biden.
 
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I f you were asked to take Kav's role for a five year period and you were given three wishes for unopposed policy change, what would they be?

Top of my head to start. (Under all circumstances protect and improve the budget allocation is a given.)

- Create liquidity a the lower end of the sales market to attract new entries to ownership, eg through claimers and races framed to ensure a run for syndicates.
- Free entry to race meetings.
- Transparency in drug enforecement policy.
 
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Great Question

1. Rather than free entry - i'll pay a fixed amount of money each year (100 Euro) for unlimited entry

2. Heavy promotion of racing on terrestrial tv or else more racing on terrestial tv here - have to grow the game

3. make drug testing of horses globally elite. As things stand the French have better detection. This really is essential to match and better
 
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