Announced as part of the Irish financial budget for 2020, bookmakers are set to receive a €50,000 a year relief from the 2 per cent tax levied on betting in the Republic which is hoped will support the country’s independent bookmaking sector. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe confirmed yesterday that bookmakers across the Republic will not be subject to tax …
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Echoing the concerns of Irish counterpart Brian Kavanagh (Chief Executive of Horseracing Ireland), Olivier Delloye, Director General of France Galop has stated that a no deal Brexit, will severely damage the entire equine value chain, with regards to racing, breeding, transport, animal welfare and certifications. Leading France’s horseracing authority, Delloye states that at present the UK, Ireland and France, simply do not sustain …
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The conversation surrounding Brexit has been inescapable for the last two and a half years, with MPs still unable to agree upon a deal that would be most beneficial for the UK. Later in the week, Chief Executive of Irish racing Brian Kavanagh will be travelling to Westminster to liaise with senior officials from both the British Horseracing Authority and …
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County Kildare (Ireland) Punchestown Racecourse is set to undergo a €6.2 million renovation project, which will see work begin on a new €3.8 million grandstand, following 2016’s Punchestown Festival in April. The redevelopment project has been approved by the board of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), who will contribute €2.5 million through a capital development grant. Punchestown Racecourse management will now …
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Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has announced that Racing Post has been appointed as an official distributor of HRI Data up to the end of 2019. Racing Post have renewed the agreement with HRI to use official HRI data in all of its print and digital products and will also be licensed to sell such data to other customers alongside its own editorial, tipping and analysis of Irish horseracing. …
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Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Brian Kavanagh has stated that there will be no delay to the implementation of Ireland’s new betting tax framework, which mirrors closely the UK’s POC system introduced last December. Kavanagh backed his statement, despite the UK POC being referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by the Gibraltar Betting & Gaming Association (GBGA). …
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2014 was another successful year for the Irish bloodstock industry, with sales of €147.4 million representing double-digit growth for the fourth year in a row, according to Horse Racing Ireland’s (HRI) annual statistics. Industry highlights: Tote Ireland posted increases for the fourth consecutive year Racecourse attendances grew by 4% for the second year in succession. Commercial sponsorship, a key marker …
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Horse Racing Ireland has announced the appointment of Charles O’Neill to the position of Chief Executive of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM). Charles is from a well-known equine family and joins ITM from the financial services sector, most recently a senior position at Ulster Bank. The Kildare native has previous experience working in the racing and breeding industries in France, and …
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The European Pattern Committee (EPC) has announced a string of changes to the sprint programme from 2015, designed to address the current lack of opportunities for high-class three-year-old sprinters. The measures include upgrades to races in Britain, France, Germany and Ireland, as well as the introduction of a new Group 1 three-year-old only sprint over six furlongs at Royal Ascot. …
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Horse Racing Ireland has released next year’s fixture list, with the total number of meetings remaining unchanged at 349. The key points and changes are as follows: Leopardstown’s two-day meeting in January has been split up so that the fixtures will now be run on successive Sundays (18th & 25thJanuary), with the Boylesports Handicap Hurdle the feature race on Sunday 18th and the BHP Insurance …
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