Racing NewsIreland's on-course bookmakers have taken another financial hit in the first half of 2005 with an eight per cent drop in turnover to a total of just over €78 million.
Figures released yesterday by Horse Racing Ireland, the sport's ruling body, also showed a three per cent drop in attendances at Irish race meetings during the first six months, although there was one positive with the Tote reporting a three per cent increase in turnover to €20.8 million.
On-course bookmakers continue to blame the availability of live pictures of Irish racing on the satellite channel attheraces for the drop in their turnover, but the HRI chief executive was keen to point out the positives of that coverage.
"The growth of new betting platforms, combined with the availability of TV pictures, creates two competing effects - facilitating the stay at home punter while exposing the sport to bigger audiences," said Brian Kavanagh yesterday. "Racecourses are rising to the challenge with innovative raceday packages, improved facilities and enhancements such as big screens," he added.
That doesn't cut much ice with the bookmakers, however, and their spokesman, Francis Hyland, continued to blame the live pictures for their drop in turnover. "In the end the picture issue will have to be seen as a very serious problem for Irish racing," he said.
"The danger is clear and the figures prove it. Live pictures are taking people away. If you have a situation like tonight, with both Leopardstown and Killarney racing, there is a disincentive not to go racing because you can watch and bet at both from home."
Hyland added: "One solution might be to black out pictures within a certain radius of the tracks, particularly at the meetings around Dublin. But we said before live pictures started there would be problems and we have continued to say it. The damage is now clear. It's mainly punters who are leaving which explains the drop in attendances."
Kavanagh, however, attributed the drop in attendance figures to a "cold, wet start to the year" and pointed to a six per cent rise in June including a record 47,000 at the three-day Curragh Derby weekend.
On the actual racecourse, Kavanagh described the success enjoyed by Irish-trained horses so far in 2005 as "unprecedented". He pointed to the record nine winners at the Cheltenham Festival, including the winners of the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase, as well as a total of eight winners at Liverpool's Grand National meeting. Hedgehunter's victory in the National itself was a first for trainer Willie Mullins.
A number of home hopes for Sunday's Darley Irish Oaks were popular with ante-post punters yesterday, including the Classic double seeker Saoire who is now an 11 to 1 shot from 14's with Paddy Power. Jim Bolger's Pictavia has also been popular and is now a 9 to 2 chance.
The Killarney July Festival winds up this afternoon and Ruby Walsh looks set to continue his hot streak with Native Stag in the featured handicap hurdle. A recent run on the flat behind Amid The Chaos at Naas should put this one right.
