Racing News: Horse Racing Ireland are awaiting proposals regarding the possibility of showing pictures of Irish racing on a new channel but a spokesman admitted yesterday they are "interested" in the new idea that has been put to them.

SIS, who produced the old Racing Channel, are in negotiations with HRI, and a number of other interested parties, to see if a successor can be started in competition to attheraces.

HRI has already turned down an offer from attheraces to show the top races in Ireland and is also pursuing the idea of starting its own digital channel.

However, meetings have taken place with SIS and the HRI chief executive, Brian Kavanagh, confirmed yesterday the media rights committee will be able to recommend an option to the board on the 29th of his month.

"There are serious possibilities with this and we are waiting on proposals in the near future," he said.

Kavanagh added: "We are still discussing the idea of our own channel with different people but we have to make sure there is a sufficient volume of product to keep it busy.

"People think we are terribly busy during the summer but it is only one meeting a day. I would not rule out setting up our own channel but it would have to be done in conjunction with showing French, South African or even American racing.

"If the proposal that we think might come from SIS does come then it wouldn't actually be a million miles from our own channel anyway. Irish racing would be the lead product in it." Kavanagh also pointed to the fallout from Sunday when attheraces showed a nondescript jump race from Uttoxeter in preference to the Group 1 Grand Prix de St Cloud.

"Attheraces wanted to cherry pick 50 odd races a year here and what happened on Sunday was exactly the concern that we had when dealing with them.

"Part of the rationale behind the SIS proposals are that any new channel would also show more American racing.

"On attheraces at the moment there has been a reduction in the amount of American racing shown because of the clashes with evening racing in Britain," Kavanagh said.

There have been no live pictures of Irish race meetings since the old Racing Channel folded and a concern for HRI will be the rise in attendance figures that followed that closure.