HORSE Racing Ireland will reveal its budget for 2018 later this month and all within the point-to-point sector will be eagerly awaiting its release.

Twelve months ago, the HRI budget brought a favourable increase to the funding allocation that was given to the point-to-point sector, with the spend increasing by some €728,000 to €2.2 million, of which €745,000 was for integrity costs.

As part of that increase, the grant provided to hunts for running a point-to-point fixture was increased from €2,000 to €6,500 and the minimum prize money for all races with the exceptions of the commercially valuable four and five-year-old maidens, was increased from €800 to €1,200.

HRI also now covers the cost of one qualified medical officer for each point-to-point fixture, a cost previously borne by the individual hunt committees.

The government’s budget for 2018 did not contain any increases to the Horse Racing & Greyhound Fund, with HRI’s allocated funding remaining unchanged at €64 million, having been increased by €4.8 million for 2017.

With the Horse Racing Ireland commissioned Deloitte report, The Economic Impact of Irish Racing and Breeding 2017, stating that an estimated €37 million is generated each year for the rural Irish economy by the sport of point-to-pointing alone, those within the sport have justifiable expectations that further funding will be made available to support the areas that are in distress.

DISCUSSION

Gerry Kelleher from the Irish Point-to-Point Handlers Association, who has been in discussions with both the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Michael Creed and Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh for well over a year, is hopeful of further funding increases for point-to-pointing in the upcoming budget announcement.

“We met with HRI last year and had a three-year plan with regards to prize money and getting an increase in the prize money for point-to-points. We would be hopeful of a further increase in prize money for next year for the same four races – the mares’ maidens, older maidens, winners’ races and open lightweight races. The four and five-year-old maidens cater for themselves so that was our agreement to focus on the other races.

“The increase in prize money will hopefully entice more owners of older horses that might have been lost to the game to get back involved again – the likes of the man with the mare or an older horse.”

The association are also targeting their efforts at other areas, reporting that funding had been made available for Irish Thoroughbred Marketing to continue their support of the Ladies Series which was initiated last season and has led to an increase in the number of races for lady riders during the season.

OLDER HORSES

Kelleher also had news of a development which is sure to be welcomed by those with older horses in training, as the Handlers Association are planning to run a final for older maiden winners at the Dromahane fixture on Sunday, May 20th 2018 which they assist in the running of in conjunction with the Duhallow Kanturk hunt.

“Later in the season we are hoping to have a final for older horses. This will be for horses six-year-old and upwards that would have won from January 1st 2018 and we are thinking of running it at our meeting in May which would have a bonus attached to it similar to the Gain Mares’ Final that is run at Boulta each year.”

The association are currently seeking to source a sponsor to support the final; highlighting that sponsorship of the race is sure to generate significant publicity and goodwill for a business from within the sport, as such an initiative is badly needed to boost the numbers of horses running in older maidens and winners’ races.

The association are also hoping to meet with the Turf Club to discuss many of the regulatory issues which were brought up by fellow handlers at their meeting at the Horse & Jockey Hotel in September.