The 45,000 people who attended the three day Budweiser Irish Derby festival this year, contributed to a strong performance by Irish racing in the first six months of 2004. Figures released today (Tuesday 13th July, 2004), by Horse Racing Ireland, the National Authority for Racing, showed gains across all main areas.
The key highlights were as follows:-
Total Attendance: 565,982 Up 23,023 – 4.2%
Total Tote Betting €20.2 million Up €2.2 million – 12%
Total Sponsorship €3.4 million Up €273,326– 9%
Total Bookmaker Betting €84.7 million (On Course) Up €4.3 million – 5%
Total Fixtures 133 (Excluding N.Ireland) Up 10 – 8.1%
Total number of races 1,029 Up 79 – 8%
Total runners 13,746 Up 281 – 2%
Total Prize Money €23.9 million Up €1.9 million – 9%
In addition, total off-course betting in the period exceeded €1 billion, an increase of over €196 million, or 22% on the corresponding period in 2003.
Commenting on the figures, Horse Racing Ireland’s Chief Executive, Brian Kavanagh, said:-
‘The figures are extremely encouraging, and show that 2004 is likely to be another successful year for Irish racing. While attendance figures are on target, they were affected by a difficult month of June which saw a number of meetings hit by wet weather and clashes with major events such as the GAA Provincial Championships and the Euro 2004 Soccer Championships. Up to the end of May attendances were actually 11% ahead of last year’s attendances and we expect that level of demand to continue in the second half of the year.
The extra fixtures included in 2004 have resulted in more choice for the racegoer, and more opportunities for owners and horses to compete.
Mid-June saw the return of Irish racing to TV screens following the launch of the new At the Races (ATR) channel. Under the terms of this new deal between HRI and the Association of Irish Racecourses (AIR), ATR will cover at least one fixture per day for each day that there is racing in Ireland (a minimum of 250 Irish race meetings per year). In addition to this, a second series of Go Racing, was launched on tvthree in April 2004, with over 100,000 viewers watching week on week.
At the beginning of the year, a new €500,000 TV and radio advertising campaign aimed at recruiting a new generation of racegoers, fronted by popular TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin was launched. This is the first time HRI has joined up with an individual celebrity, with Hector fronting dedicated local radio campaigns and making guest appearances on a monthly basis at various race courses.
Looking back at the racing highlights of 2004, Brian Kavanagh said: –
‘Irish trained horses continue to compete with distinction with the best horses in Europe and this year’s National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham saw four Irish trained winners with the highlight being the success of the Dessie Hughes trained Hardy Eustace in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle under a superb ride from Conor O’Dwyer. The Aintree Grand National Meeting produced three Irish trained winners with the victory of Jessica Harrington’s Moscow Flyer in the Martell Cognac Melling Steeplechase confirming his status as one of the best steeplechasers of his generation.
The Punchestown Festival in late April was a resounding success with Beef Or Salmon’s easy victory in the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup just one of many highlights over the four day meeting. With victories for Brave Inca and Moscow Flyer the home trained runners performed very well but the English raiders did not leave the meeting empty handed as Jonjo O’Neill completed an excellent double on the Thursday with Rhinestone Cowboy in the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers’ Hurdle and Cherub in the Colm McEvoy Auctioneers Champion 4-Y-O Hurdle sending his supporters home happy.
On the flat scene the recent victory of the Dermot Weld trained Grey Swallow in the Budweiser Irish Derby at the Curragh was a truly memorable achievement for the Weld family as the winner was bred by Dermot’s mother, Gita. It also provided an unprecedented fifth consecutive home trained Derby winner. While both the Irish 1000 and 2000 Guineas went for export the John Oxx trained Azamour hit back with a tremendous victory in the St James’ Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, one of four Irish trained winners at the meeting and trainer David Wachman looks to have a potential star on his hands in the shape of Damson as this ultra smart performer put up a most impressive performance when winning the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot and she is already installed as the ante-post favourite for next year’s English 1000 Guineas on the strength of this display.’
For Further information contact:
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive: P 045 842800
Tamarisk Doyle, PR Manager: P 045 842841, M 0872936357