HORSE RACING IRELAND FACTBOOK 2014 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION NATIONALHUNTREVIEWOF FLATSEASONREVIEWOF MARKETINGREVIEW RACECOURSEDIVISIONREVIEW IRISHTHOROUGHBREDMARKETINGREVIEW TOTEIRELANDREVIEW STATISTICS Attendance On-CourseBetting O -CourseBetting Tote BettingbyRacecourse Breeders IrishSales OverseasWinners HorsesinTraining Ownership Fixtures EntriesandRunners Balloting Prize-Money Sponsorship CONTENTS TrainersRidersandSta TopTenFlatandNHHorses Exports Classifi cations OwnersTrainersandJockeys FIXTURELIST MAJORNHANDFLATRACES MAPOFRACECOURSES MAPOFBREEDERSANDTRAINERS THEHRIAWARDS CROWNINGTHECHAMPIONS IRISHCHAMPIONSWEEKEND PHOTOGRAPHYINDEX INTRODUCTION 2014 with other racing jurisdictions. Irish trainers equalled the record of In order to stay competitive eight wins at Royal Ascot and at the internationally, improve returns to prestigious York Ebor festival each of the existing owners and attract new owners, feature races was won by an Irish-trained HRI made improvements in prize-money horse. Irish sprinters enjoyed success a priority for 2014 with an increase of in the world sprints with Tom Hogan’s 6.1% to €48.6 million, including a rise in Gordon Lord Byron beating the top the minimum race value from €7,000 to Australian sprinters in Rosehill in March €7,500. Prize-money will increase by a and winning on QIPCO British Champions further €5 million, or 10%, in 2015, to a Day in October. Eddie Lynam won four projected €53.9 million and the minimum of the fi ve British Group 1 all-aged sprint race value will be increased to €8,000, races with his star sprinters Sole Power with signifi cant increases to other base and Slade Power (IRE). Irish-trained and values. bred Adelaide (IRE) became the fi rst Attendance growth of 4% was recorded non-Australasian horse to win Australia’s for total attendances and average premier weight-for-age race, The Cox On behalf of Horse Racing Ireland, I am attendance per meeting for the second Plate, for Aidan O’Brien. pleased to present the tenth edition of year in a row. The racing festivals were Despite signs of growth across many the Irish Racing Factbook, which gives particularly strong, with the inaugural key areas, we still face the challenge readers a comprehensive overview of Irish Champions Weekend signifi cantly of retaining and attracting racehorse 2014. This 64-page publication contains increasing numbers at Leopardstown and owners. To address this, HRI is committed a wide-range of statistics relating to the the Curragh. to increased prize-money and reduced 2014 racing and breeding industry in Ireland, Tote Ireland’s revenue increase for the costs of ownership because owners are covering fi xtures, runners, attendances, fourth consecutive year was driven mainly the foundation on which this industry prize-money, the output of the breeding by growth in betting on Irish racing from is built. Our increased race values, sector and the betting turnover generated international markets, along with growth coupled with the further reductions in on and o -course. Any feedback that in its business with UK Totepool. Tote administrative charges, will hopefully readers may have for improvement of Ireland partners with many international encourage new owners into the sport and future editions is very welcome. operators to sell tote betting on Irish existing owners to reinvest. Increasing the Irish racing showed growth in key racing and the increase in 2014 refl ects number of horses in training is an absolute continued success in this area. priority to maintain the competitiveness INTRODUCTION areas in 2014 with bloodstock sales and exports, Tote turnover, attendances and Bookmaker betting on-course has of Irish racing and generate increased commercial sponsorship all up on last fi nally seen a tapering-o of the steep employment in our vital rural industry. year. Bloodstock turnover increased declines registered in each of the last The owners, trainers, jockeys and by 10.5% to €147.4m, representing seven years, amounting to a cumulative horses listed in this publication are what double-digit growth for the fourth year in drop in turnover of €135 million. With a puts Irish racing in such an enviable a row. This is a testament to the appeal €1 million increase in on-course SP shop global position, and I wish them and all of Irish thoroughbreds, based on their turnover, overall on-course betting has others involved in this imp ortant national racing success at home and overseas. seen its fi rst increase since 2007. industry a successful 2015. The quality of horses in training in Ireland In 2014 Irish-bred and trained horses remains high and Irish-bred horses are enjoyed tremendous global success. Brian Kavanagh sought-after in world markets, with At Cheltenham in 2014, there were 16 Chief Executive exports to 34 countries at a value of Irish-bred and 12 Irish-trained winners. €229.4m up 11.7% on the previous year. The year-end industry fi gures also showed that signifi cant challenges remain, as seen in the decline in horses-in-training, race entries and ownership, although recruitment of new owners improved slightly. In 2014, the number of horses in training was down 6.4% to 8,613. We are now seeing the full e ect of the dramatic declines in foal crops in 2009 and 2010 and ownership is an area that needs continued focus. While the overall number of owners has fallen again, the increase in new owners is welcome and our fi eld sizes bear favourable comparison 2 HORSE RACING IRELAND FACTBOOK 2014 2014 INTRODUCTION “irish sprinTers enjoyed success in The World sprinTs WiTh ToM hogan’s gordon lord byron beaTing The Top ausTralian sprinTers in rosehill in March and Winning on Qipco briTish chaMpions day in ocTober” HORSE RACING IRELAND FACTBOOK 2014 3 NATIONAL HUNT REVIEW OF 2014 2014 There is no doubt that 2014 belonged to McNamara, in the Champion Bumper. at Leopardstown while the Dessie Willie Mullins. From beginning to end, he The first six horses home in that race Hughes-trained Guitar Pete took the was the dominant force and for many, his were all trained in Ireland and Weld’s Gala Retail Spring Juvenile Hurdle. Willie remarkable servant Hurricane Fly was the winner was his first since Rare Holiday Mullins’ Vautour enhanced his reputation star of the year. in 1990. McNamara rode a second with an all-the-way success in the Deloitte While he failed in his attempt to retain his Festival winner when he partnered the Novice Hurdle and his stable companion champion hurdle crown at Cheltenham, Jim Culloty-trained Spring Heeled in the Ballycasey won the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Hurricane Fly both opened and closed the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. Chase. The Brian O’Connell-ridden Last year with memorable wins. He won the The final day of the Festival belonged to Instalment was an impressive Hennessy NATIONAL HUNT REVIEW NATIONAL BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle at the Irish, with the raiders winning six of Gold Cup winner for Philip Fenton. Leopardstown in January for the fourth the seven races. The obvious highlight Mullins landed the Irish Stallion Farms successive year and proved to be an was the success of Jim Culloty’s Lord EBF Mares Maiden Novice Hurdle absolute crowd favourite when taking Windermere in the Gold Cup. Winning Championship Final with Adriana Des the Ryanair Hurdle at the same course rider Davy Russell had earlier won the Mottes at Fairyhouse in early April in December. Indeed, the 11-year-old is JCB Triumph Hurdle on the Gordon and at the Easter festival at the same unbeaten in nine starts at Leopardstown Elliott-trained Tiger Roll, the first of course three weeks later Michael Winters and with his most recent success, brought four winners on the day for owners saddled Rebel Fitz to win his first Grade his world record tally of Grade 1 wins to 21. Gigginstown House Stud. Noel Meade and 1 in the Powers Gold Cup. UK raider With four winners, Willie Mullins was Paul Carberry landed the Albert Bartlett Shutthefrontdoor got up late on to win the leading trainer at the Cheltenham Novices’ Hurdle with Very Wood and the BoyleSports Irish Grand National Festival. In all, there were 12 Irish-trained Willie Mullins’ Don Poli won the Martin for Jonjo O’Neill and Barry Geraghty, a winners over the four days, including Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap second win in the race for the trainer but seven at Grade 1 level. The champion Hurdle under Mikey Fogarty who was a first for the former champion jockey. trainer was responsible for Vautour, riding his first Festival winner. Russell The Punchestown festival attracted a Quevega, Faugheen and Don Poli and he landed the final race of the Festival, the record breaking attendance of over also saddled six horses to finish second Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase 106,000 and of the 12 Grade 1s on oer in their races. Quevega was winning the on the Tony Martin-trained Savello. A at the Punchestown festival, Willie OLBG Mares Hurdle for the sixth time, memorable day was completed in the Mullins won six. His Cheltenham winner which is a record in itself. CGA Foxhunter Chase where Irish-trained Faugheen was again on the mark and he The Jessica Harrington-trained Jezki, horses filled the first three places with also enjoyed top-level success with Boston ridden by Barry Geraghty, narrowly the Liam Lennon-trained Tammys Hill and Bob, Shaneshill, Vautour, Annie Power and prevailed in the Champion Hurdle and James Smyth leading the way. Abbyssial. At 12 years of age, Henry de Dermot Weld made a welcome return Closer to home, the early Grade 1s of Bromhead’s Sizing Europe recorded his to the Cheltenham winners’ enclosure the year saw Trifolium easily win the eighth Grade 1 success in the Boylesports. with Silver Concorde, ridden by Robbie Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice com Champion Chase while there was 4 HORSE RACING IRELAND FACTBOOK 2014 “THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT 2014 BELONGED TO WILLIE MULLINS.