THE Association of Irish Racehorse Owners has clarified its position on how racing should tackle the ongoing balloting in lower grade flat handicaps.

The topic was discussed by AIRO members following the association’s extraordinary general meeting last weekend but the AIRO is unhappy with a subsequent media report which suggested the AIRO was lobbying to have prize money reduced in order to create more races.

AIRO committee member John Lynam said: “In mid-December Richard Pugh and I represented the AIRO at a meeting in HRI, with other stakeholders, which aimed to come up with possible solutions to the balloting problem. One of the first things established was that HRI had no money for extra meetings and even if a sponsor came forward the timings would have to suit the media rights holder.

“In that context, I asked HRI to perform an exercise which would see how many extra races could be financed if prize money in that category was reduced. My thinking was that if it resulted in a significant number of extra races then it might be worth considering, but not if it would only create a handful of new races. In any case, the exercise was never carried out, so it’s not an option.”

Lynam confirmed that he opposed a proposal from the trainers’ association to alter the rating bands for lower grade handicaps.

“The proposal was to extend random balloting from the 45-65 bracket to include horses rated 66-70.

“I objected on the grounds that this merely spreads the problem rather than solves it, and I had the support of our acting chair David Hyland on that point.”

Hyland chaired last Friday’s EGM in the absence of chair Brian Polly. The main purpose of the evening was to change the structure of the AIRO into a limited company, which would protect the members from unlimited liability in the case of a legal challenge.

The move was taken following a contribution at the association’s AGM last March from owner James Mescall. That heated meeting is chiefly remembered for the row over the estimated €90,000 in legal fees incurred by the AIRO while trying to elect a new representative on the HRI board.

AIRO manager Aiden Burns reported: “The motion to change to a limited company was passed unanimously. That process is now being finalised with the Companies Office. It’s understood that the existing association will be wound down at the AGM in March, and the new association’s constitution will be ratified at a later EGM.