Demand driven - Irish fixture list grows organically but funding is the problem

When Horse Racing Ireland announced ten extra fixtures for 2021 compared to what was initially scheduled for 2020, many eyebrows were raised given the volatility of the current coronavirus-beset climate.

In doing so, HRI’s chief executive Brian Kavanagh indicated the potential existed to maximise potential media rights income, and tracks are generally keen to host additional fixtures as on average a meeting is worth around €50,000 via that revenue stream.

To that extent, there is an element of the tail wagging the dog in the same way that British fixtures are needed to generate profits for bookmakers to then feed the levy.