BRINGING racing industry working practices into line with employment legislation, or vice versa, is the biggest issue facing Irish racing in 2018, says Michael Grassick, chief executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association.
Grassick was reacting to Friday’s release from Horse Racing Ireland which outlined where HRI’s €64 million Government grant will be spent in 2018. The budget plans are headed by increases in prize money and generous allocations towards racecourse projects. Having failed to gain increased Government support for next year, HRI will dip into its own reserves to meet its commitments.
Welcoming HRI’s plans, Grassick said: “The fact that HRI has reserves available suggests they have been prudent in recent years.”
Noting HRI’s intention to focus on “career pathways” for industry workers, Grassick said he believes staffing problems are an immediate concern. “We need more people to work in racing stables as we may have to restructure how we deal with weekend racing so that we comply with the Working Time Act.”
Currently staff in the majority of racing yards receive a day and a half off every fortnight. This practice is likely to come under renewed scrutiny from the Workplace Relations Commission in the new year.
“This is the most serious issue and biggest challenge facing racing right now,” Grassick said. “We need to get our staff reclassified as agricultural workers and the employment authorities must accept that racing is a seven-day industry.”
Grassick said that HRI’s stable staff training courses were showing promise and should continue.
Prize money next year will rise by €2.2 million to a record figure of €63.3 million. This is due in part to eight extra fixtures being staged, enhanced support for the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February and the full-year effect of programmes introduced in 2017.
Prize money grants for point-to-points will increase by 23%. This will see more cash offered for all races, except four- and five-year-old maidens, as the winners of these races tend to fetch big prices at the sales.
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Commenting on the extra prize money and eight extra fixtures, Grassick said: “As well as boosting the Dublin Racing Festival, I believe the Guineas are going to get more money.
“They’ve been a little bit weak in the ratings recently and that needs to be addressed if the races are to keep their Group 1 status.”
Major capital projects are on-going at the Curragh, Galway, Naas and Punchestown. Cork is getting a new straight seven-furlong track and there are upgrades planned for facilities at Tramore, Fairyhouse and Ballinrobe. All of these projects are partly-funded by HRI.
Next year will also see the commencement of the next phase of the redevelopment of Leopardstown. This €15 million project includes plans for a new weighroom, saddling boxes, bars, restaurants and public facilities.
Leopardstown CEO Pat Keogh said: “The job was put out to tender last week but we don’t envisage work starting until after Irish Champions Weekend next September. There is a three-month window there leading up to Christmas in which we can get a lot of work done.”
A total of €9.1 million has been earmarked for integrity services. Denis Egan, CEO of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “While we are disappointed that we didn’t get what we had requested, we understand the situation that HRI was in with regard to no increase in funding for 2018.”
HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: “Despite the static nature of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund in 2018, the Board has opted to invest further in policies which will develop and grow the industry.
“The Budget approved for 2018 by the HRI board will stimulate future revenue streams for the industry and provide development opportunities for the industry’s most important resource – the people that work in it.”
He took the opportunity to reiterate HRI’s desire for a new funding mechanism for the industry though betting tax was not specifically mentioned. “The priority for 2018 will be to develop sustainable income streams for the industry and to work with Government to put in place a long term permanent funding basis for the sector.
“The measures announced today are sustainable in the short-term only as the result of prudence in previous years. However, in the absence of a funding solution, these programmes are not sustainable in the long-term.
“Given the challenges provided by Brexit and the infrastructural issues facing the industry, the need for this solution is greater than ever.
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