Racing: Attendances at Irish racecourses reached an all-time record of 1.43 million in 2005, it was announced today with the release of the 2005 racing statistics by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI).
The Festival meetings at Punchestown, the Curragh, Galway, Listowel and Leopardstown were the star performers, with a buoyant second half of the year contributing most of the growth of almost 44,000 racegoers on the 2004 figures.
Commenting on the figures, HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: "2005 was probably the most successful year ever for Irish racing. Irish trained horses won over €11 million in prize money overseas.
"Nine winners at Cheltenham and eight at Aintree surpassed our most optimistic expectations. When we include the King George VI Chase at Sandown, in 2005, for the first time, Irish trained horses won each of the top five UK national hunt races."
Total on-course betting was up 1.6 per cent to €236.7 million. The Tote grew by 3.8 per cent to €49.3 million which includes a continuing trend in betting into overseas Tote pools.
Bookmaker betting on-course, which was down €6.6 million at the half-year stage, also gained from the buoyancy in the second half of the year showing growth of €1.6 million by year's end.
Prize money was broadly the same as 2004 at €52.3 million.
On the flat, three of the five English Classics, the Eclipse and Nassau Stakes, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, the Arlington Million and both of France's principal races for two year olds were won by Irish trained horses.
The increase in the value of horse sales at public auction from €113 million to almost €146 million, the report found.