The rumblings of discontent following the Government's decision to create an extra seat at the Horse Racing Ireland board are growing deeper, with the racecourse association yesterday insisting again they want an extra seat of their own on racing's new ruling body.

Also yesterday, a Turf Club spokesman admitted the regulatory body's members are "disappointed" with the Department of Agriculture's late move and repeated the Turf Club wish to meet the Minister for Agriculture as soon as possible.

"There may be a perfectly plausible reason for the Minister to have done this but we don't know and, on the face of things, it seems funny," said the Turf Club's new chief executive, Dennis Egan.

"We're curious as to how the Minister said he was not going to change anything and now this change is coming through. But we can't know until we sit down with him," he added.

The Association of Irish Racecourses currently have one seat at the proposed HRI table but their spokesman, Frank Smyth, stressed his organisation's unhappiness with the Government move and their desire to gain another seat.

"We originally went along with this in the interests of the industry but now we see no reason why we should not have the same representation as we do on the Irish Horseracing Authority board," Smyth said.

A Department of Agriculture spokesman commented yesterday: "The board was increased from 12 to 13 members to facilitate an additional place for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The Congress made a valid case for themselves, it was discussed at Cabinet and it was agreed."

In separate news, two executive positions at the HRI have been filled. Margaret Davin has been appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and Michael O'Rourke is the Director of Marketing and Communications.