YESTERDAY the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board published a rake of statistics relating to the integrity of racing in Ireland. Among the columns of numbers are some telling stories. The statistical analysis of 2018, with comparatives for the previous four years, are gathered under a total of 17 headings, most detailing the running of race meetings and point-to-points, while others relate directly to horses and people.

The two standout increases regarding stewards’ enquiries are about passport irregularities and whip use. Having averaged 154 cases for the four years prior to 2018, it is a pity to see the latter number rise to 213 last year.

This news comes in the same week that the French racing authorities have reduced the number of times a horse may be stuck during a race and tightened the rules in this area.

The IHRB is to introduce more stringent rules regarding the use of whips shortly and this will include a restriction, for the first time here, on the number of strikes allowed. Penalties for infringements will also be increased.

Last year saw a more than five-fold rise in the number of findings of prohibited substances in horses, from five in 2017 to 27. This was a matter of some controversy, but with a better understanding now between the trainers and authorities it must be hoped that this figure will decline significantly in 2019. The number of out-of-competition tests last year was some four times those taken three years earlier.

For the fifth successive year there was no positive finding among the more than 850 samples taken from riders for the presence of alcohol. However, five riders failed drug tests and this has been a constant percentage for the past number of years. The circumstances of each of these cases are very different and it is most important that the authorities, recognising the seriousness of the issue, continue their good work in assisting those riders who fail to rebuild their careers.

Concussion remains a key worry, among others, for the medical teams responsible for the welfare of riders. Unseasonable weather leading to good or better ground is one key factor in the almost doubling of cases, alongside an improvement in detection methods. All cases of concussions were among National Hunt riders, though the number of recordable injuries in that sphere fell by 11%.

In spite of the talk of shortage of stable staff, the number of employees has remained pretty much the same now for five years, while the decline in licences issued to trainers and restricted trainers has been thankfully halted.