WHAT a difference a few years can make. Back when Irish racing was under its most heavy scrutiny in the face of high-profile drug cheat allegations, the publication of something like the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s annual report would have been the subject of all sorts of intense interrogation in mainstream and racing media.

When the regulator announced its publication of the same 72-page document for 2025 earlier this month, though, there was barely a peep about it. In fairness, on the face of it at least, the latest report wasn’t chock-full of headline-grabbing material. However, there were still some interesting facts and figures to be picked apart amidst the various tables of data.