FOUR extra fixtures and increased stabling capacity promise to ease the pressure on owners and trainers trying to find races for young National Hunt horses in the coming weeks.
A huge number of horses have been balloted out of jumps races in recent weeks, mainly in maiden hurdles and low grade handicap hurdles, but some chases and bumpers have also been oversubscribed.
While balloting is regularly an issue at this time of year, the problem was more severe this year due to the lack of point-to-point races and Covid-19 restrictions on safety limits. However, starting this week, the racing authorities agreed to temporarily suspend the requirement that each racecourse stable could only be used by one horse.
From May 13th to June 18th, racecourses will be permitted to re-use some stables if they ensure that they are cleaned in between races. A statement on the Horse Racing Ireland RÁS website said: “It is stressed that this is a one-off exception due to the exceptional high demand at present.”
On Tuesday HRI announced the creation of three extra National Hunt fixtures – one per week for the next three weeks – and on Wednesday another new jumps meeting was scheduled for June.
With 200 horses balloted out of Wexford’s fixture this Sunday, the extra meetings were welcomed by Michael Grassick of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association. However, he believes more can be done. “Some trainers are also finding it hard to get their flat horses into certain races,” he said. “It’s fine at the bigger tracks but at country tracks there are limited stables – even Cork only has 110 approximately – and more runners could be accommodated if this concession on raceday stables being reused was extended to cover flat meetings.”
A spokesperson for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board commented: “One stable per runner is a joint HRI/IHRB policy which has sound biosecurity and animal welfare reasons.
“Upon the resumption of racing last June, it was implemented as part of the Covid protocols. This element was undoubtedly a reason why racing could continue uninterrupted since, through various lockdowns, when almost all other sports were not allowed continue. Both HRI and the IHRB are committed to adhering to the protocols that have served us well to date.”
Limerick date
Limerick Racecourse will stage the first of the extra jumps fixtures next Tuesday. To save ground, it is an all-chase card and has attracted a total of 188 entries. Limerick’s May 27th meeting is now an all-hurdles day.
The relaxation of the ‘one horse per stable’ rule means that up to an extra 20 runners will be accommodated.
Patrick O’Callaghan, Limerick manager, said: “There’s not a lot of money in it for Limerick – our only revenue is media rights – but we are very conscious of the chronic balloting situation at the moment. It’s nobody’s fault – it’s just the way things have transpired – and we wanted to do a little bit to help.”
It was course foreman Dave Bustin who suggested having one day for chases and one for hurdles and bumpers. “It means we will only be using the same amount of ground as we would if we had a mixed card, though of course the traffic will be heavier. You are taking a bit of a gamble that the weather will be kind but I am confident it won’t affect our racing schedule.”
O’Callaghan also praised his clerk of the course Val O’Connell for steering Limerick safely through a wet winter. “We lost four meetings during the first Covid shutdown. We got two of them back and hopefully we will be in a position to take more if HRI are looking for extra dates.”
Racecourses have to contribute €2,000 per race when they take an extra fixture, so O’Callaghan says it is understandable why other racecourses may not be keen to look for additional dates until such time as the public can attend.
Extra National Hunt dates
May 18th Limerick
May 25th Tipperary
May 31st Punchestown
June 16th Navan