LEADING pundit and Team Ireland manager Kevin Blake has urged Irish trainers to register their interest to take part in this year’s Racing League, describing the competition as “a no-brainer” for connections to earn strong prize money and gain exposure in Britain.

Completing the participation sign-up form does not mean trainers are promising to have runners in the race series, but they will not be allowed to make Racing League entries without registering before January 31st.

Over £2 million in prize money is up for grabs over the six meetings, kicking off on July 25th at Yarmouth and culminating on August 29th at Southwell.

The selection of Team Ireland’s two runners in each race will be at the discretion of Blake, who told The Irish Field: “There’s absolutely zero downside to registering. The prize money in the Racing League is significantly higher than you’ll find for equivalent races in Ireland, let alone Britain.

“There’s a travel incentive for Irish runners making the journey, and the Racing League helps with the logistics of airport transfers to the track for owners. It’s a no-brainer to give yourself the option of taking part.

“It’s also important to note that there is no balloting in the competition. If the team manager selects your horse to run as one of the team’s two runners in each race, they get in regardless of how far down the weights they are. There’s a 24lb weight range in these handicaps. Really, the nature of how the race system is shaped makes it a plotter’s dream!

“I think this is a very positive opportunity for trainers to showcase themselves in the UK. These races are shown live on ITV and Sky Sports Racing, and the broadcasters are very keen to interview any Irish connections who are at the track. For up-and-coming trainers, this is a great advertisement for their talents in Britain.”

Owner acknowledgement

Johnny Levins was an Irish trainer to benefit from the competition in 2023, landing a £32,500 handicap with 70-rated Nordic Passage at Newcastle under Dylan Browne McMonagle. He believes the series will only improve this year too.

“I found the Racing League to be a great addition to my owners and me,” said Levins.

“The whole concept is so different to a normal raceday. You really feel part of the team and I had one owner who never left the parade ring and was cheering every Irish runner as if he owned them, asking how many points did we get after each race.

“The prize money is what we should be running for on a normal race day; that’s a great incentive for the owners to be competing. We really need owners to feel valued in racing, and the only way that is achieved is proper prize money. The racing league offers this.

“They have made changes again this year and very positive ones. It’s going to get better and better.”

Trainers interested in registering for the 2024 Racing League can email teams@racingleague.uk no later than 3pm on January 31st to request the sign-up form, or alternatively can find the link in a post on Kevin Blake’s Twitter/X page from earlier this week.