HRI's unwanted spell in the spotlight could prove embarrassing

The politics of Irish racing received a rare airing on the wider national stage last week when RTE Radio 1's Drivetime programme devoted a segment to the circumstances of Brian Kavanagh's reappointment as chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland for a third term.

The report, and a follow-up on Monday evening’s edition, detailed the unorthodox nature of the process, and put the spotlight on HRI chairman Joe Keeling, who made a case for Kavanagh's retention to cabinet ministers Michael Creed and Paschal Donohoe earlier this summer.

For those who have followed this story, whether in the trade papers or in sporadic references in the national press, the report provided a useful refresher course and brought the narrative up to date. It revealed how Fianna Fail's agriculture spokesperson Charlie McConalogue has called for the urgent appearance of Keeling and fellow board members before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.