'There is a sadness about it' - Kavanagh retains fears as uncertainty lingers

HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh has welcomed the stability of a new government and the appointment of a new minister for agriculture but says that continued uncertainty over when crowds will be allowed back on racecourses remains a serious concern.

A Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Green Party coalition was signed into power on Saturday. Barry Cowen, a brother of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen – who has previously been involved in racehorse ownership – succeeds Michael Creed as head of the agriculture department, with the racing and breeding industries now falling under his remit.

Kavanagh says he does not know Cowen, a native of Clara in County Offaly, but noted his involvement in formulating the programme for government.

When that document was published last week, racing was flagged as a sector that would be supported with its funding for 2020 exactly as it was in 2019 at €67.2 million.

"Barry Cowen was heavily involved in negotiating the programme for government and he is from a part of the country that is well versed in the equine business, so I think he is a welcome appointment," said Kavanagh, who suggested horses-in-training numbers for the first six months of the year will show a positive swing on the corresponding 2019 return.

"We'll sit down with them and go through our plans and their plans. Obviously the country is in for a tough time over the coming years as we try to negotiate our way out of the Covid-19 situation, and we’ll have to make the case for racing as strongly as we can.

Brian Kavanagh: HRI chief executiveCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"This is a sector that can deliver international money into rural Ireland. You just have to look at the owners who won over the weekend at the Curragh to see the global spread.

"We had an Australian-owned winner [Buckhurst], a Saudi-owned winner [Frenetic], a Swiss-owned winner (A Ma Chere), a Chinese-owned winner [Ancient Spirit] and a Spanish-owned winner [Speak In Colours], along with the Coolmore horses, as well as a number of local owners and syndicates.

"I’m not suggesting that it’s exclusively international investment we are pursuing, but in the context of the country’s recovery, it will be important to get international money in."

HRI has begun the process of easing its racecourse restrictions, with those aged upwards of 70 permitted to enter from Wednesday once they are working, and two owners per horse permitted from July 20 among the relaxed measures.

However, beyond a limit of 500 on outdoor gatherings from July 20, the previous government indicated mass gatherings over 5,000 would not happen before September.

It makes for particularly anxious vista for beleaguered racecourses, with major events like Irish Champions Weekend and the Listowel harvest festival looming in early autumn.

"The Curragh on Sunday was the first time I have been on a track for a long time and it reinforced to me that it is a working environment – there is a sadness about it almost," Kavanagh said of the sterililty that currently prevails.

Read our recent in-depth interview with Brian Kavanagh here

"Racing needs crowds, but it’s not straightforward, because it is a different dynamic. In dealing with stakeholders, you have got people who desperately need to get back racing to work. In dealing with crowds, it is a discretionary decision by the public.

"When crowds come back there will be some sort of restriction on numbers – it’s not like you are going to move from 500 to unlimited numbers. And then there are crowd groups, such as sponsors, their guests, members and so on. Racecourses are displaying different levels of anxiety to be able to look after some of those.

"So it becomes a real priority now, because racecourses are probably in a position that they can survive a shock of losing attendances at one festival or one Derby, but when you start getting beyond that it becomes difficult for all of the elements that rely on racecourse activity."

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