Field sizes, entries, runners and new owners drop in latest Horse Racing Ireland statistics

A boost to the middle tier of racing is needed to combat a fall in field sizes, entries, runners and and new owners, according to Horse Racing Ireland (HRI).

Half-year statistics show there were reductions against those metrics but also revealed a 3.3 per cent increase in the total number of horses in training, despite the number of active owners falling from 3,975 in 2022 to 3,843 this year.

In total, 29,772 horses were entered across both codes from January to July in 2023, a drop of 7.9 per cent on the same period last year when 32,323 entries were made.

This was also reflected in the number of total runners which fell from 16,003 to 15,277, a decrease of 4.5 per cent, while field sizes dropped from an average of 12.1 runners to 11.7.

There have been 455 new owners introduced to the industry in the first six months of 2023, more than ten per cent down from the same period last year, when 510 were introduced.

Speaking to the Racing Post, HRI chief executive Suzanne Eade said: "We'll continue to monitor those trends of ownership and field sizes. We're still very competitive internationally. Some of the drops on the entry side may have something to do with the dry spring and the weather conditions. We look at what measures work for attracting and retaining owners and we're always trying to widen the ownership base.

"We have a lot of success among trainers but they are supporting a wide base – the number of different owners winning is great to see. We'll keep a focus on the race programme to ensure it meets the needs of owners and the horses in training.

"We try to forecast where the needs are with regards to investment in race programming and the middle tier is probably the area we're looking to get a little bit stronger. It comes down to funding but that's the area we would like to work on."

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) chief executive Suzanne EadeCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Prize-money for the first six months of the year rose by one per cent from 2022 to €30.6 million, and Eade added: "The trickle-down impact of the money is vital. An increase of one per cent is not as much as I would like but it's what we can do at the moment.

"The main thing for us is to attract owners, as having horses in Ireland creates employment. We've got a number of trainers who are really strong because they are really good. Owners want success and we would like to grow the ownership base across all levels. HRI's ownership department has also been very supportive of trainers' open days in an attempt to widen opportunities to attract owners.

"You have to be fair and encourage competition and we have a very competitive programme. What you're seeing is the best horses taking each other on more often than maybe in other jurisdictions."

Attendances for the period up to July 2, the conclusion of the Irish Derby festival, grew by 7.6 per cent from 505,752 to 544,147 in 2022.

"It's encouraging to see the growth in attendances," said Eade. "In fairness to the tracks, they are all working very hard on the value proposition beyond just the racing. They've been focused on the raceday and customer experience.

"You have to keep looking at different ways to attract audiences. The younger audience is definitely consuming media in a very different way and you have to make sure you're there on the channels they are tuning into.

"There has been plenty of engaging material on social media this year, particularly on the Flat. We created the Flat Out Exhilaration campaign to get people to appreciate the excitement of Flat racing, which has been very important."

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