RACEGOERS at Navan today and at Leopardstown on Sunday will be denied the opportunity to bet with on-course bookmakers in indoor areas due to the continuing dispute over the allocation of these pitches.

Since late last year, bookmakers have been allowed stand in selected indoor grandstand areas, usually restaurants. The owners and trainers restaurant at Navan and the Pavilion at Leopardstown were two such approved areas. Using the existing pitch rules, and with agreement from bookmakers, Horse Racing Ireland oversaw the allocation of these pitches. Senior bookmakers were offered first refusal on the indoor sites but, if they took a turn betting indoors, they went to the back of the queue for that track’s next meeting. Belfast bookmaker Brian Graham contested this policy and last month his solicitors obtained a High Court injunction preventing HRI from implementing the pitch rules until the matter is heard by a judge. The case is due for mention on March 28th.

In the meantime, HRI says it cannot oversee the allocation of racecourse pitches, even in the betting ring, and nor can it facilitate the sale of pitches. As a result bookmakers are working together to allocate racecourse pitches on a daily basis and the process is said to be working smoothly.

A betting industry expert said: “The pitch rules are not HRI’s rules. HRI was only implementing what the majority of bookmakers wanted but to take out an injunction you must name a statutory body and that is why HRI is now prevented from having anything to do with the pitch rules. Punters, bookmakers and racecourses are losing out while this dispute continues.