AN offer has been made by businessman Sam Murphy to sponsor a full card of jumps racing confined to trainers who have had a limited number of winners over obstacles in recent times.

Sam Murphy is the brains behind the Equilux lighting system used by a number of major trainers and studs around the world.

He has also worked in racing for a number of years with trainers of the calibre of Jim Bolger, John Oxx and Paddy Prendergast.

The proposal was made on Twitter on Monday evening, following a lengthy debate that had begun on Sunday morning on the difficulties facing a large number of National Hunt trainers, and the reduction of the number of licence-holders by 10.5% at the end of 2017.

It is the first time since 2008 that the total of National Hunt trainers has dipped below 100, with the figure standing at 93.

The success of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott has been rightly heralded but the decline in numbers is a concerning trend.

Horse Racing Ireland have consistently placed their emphasis on quality but acknowledge that the decline is concerning.

On Sunday, details of a new 14-race maiden and novice hurdle series sponsored by Irish European Breeders Fund were announced, which should provide increased opportunities with participating horses having to cost no more than €45,000 to be eligible, and those costing less receiving weight allowances.

Murphy wants to go a step further though and provide one extra meeting that is confined exclusively to trainers that have enjoyed limited success on the track in recent times. Earlier in the debate, he used the Martinstown Opportunity series sponsored for conditional jockeys, which has been sponsored by J.P. McManus since its inception in 2003, as a template.

The proposal is light on detail at the moment but Murphy is calling on HRI, the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association and one enterprising racecourse to put on an extra meeting of seven races exclusively for struggling trainers, promising to provide sponsorship for all of the races.

As an extra meeting, it would not be reducing opportunities currently available to the top tier of handlers, in the same way that Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell, Barry Geraghty and co have not lost out due to the Martinstown series.

Murphy’s proposal via a tweet to trainer Martin Hassett read: “Throwing it out there now Martin. Get HRI, trainers association and a racecourse (to) agree to stage AN EXTRA opportunity meeting and WE will sponsor all 7 races. Maybe it might get something started. Nothing to lose everything to gain.”

Hassett, a Tipperary-based handler who has trained just six National Hunt winners in the past five seasons in Ireland, with two of those coming this term, was enthusiastic about the proposal.

“Brilliant idea. HRI should be knocking your door down,” tweeted Hassett, who then called on trainers to get behind the proposal.