RACEGOERS will now be able to include horses from the home meetings in multiple bets in the on-course betting shops after the independent consultant issued his recommendations yesterday on the dispute between the Irish Horseracing Authority and the Irish National Bookmakers' Association over the operation of the betting shop at Leopardstown.

The IHA, in a statement, say that they welcome the report which now, they say, brings the dispute to a close. However, the multiple bets affair was only a very minor matter and the fact that single bets on the home event will not be permitted in on-course betting shops means in fact that this is another crushing defeat for the IHA, no matter how hard they try to disguise it.

The course bookmakers must be laughing up their sleeves at the naivety of the IHA. The bookmakers have around 90 per cent of the betting turnover on Irish race-courses, with, up to the arrival of the course betting shops, their only competition a rapidly fading Tote. Now, it seems, they can dictate what services the course betting shop can provide. It is the equivalent of supermarket chains telling the corner shop what goods it can stock.

The IHA statement goes on to say that both they and the INBA have already agreed that a comprehensive study be carried out of on-course betting, in relation to horse racing and the two bodies will be meeting in the near future to agree the terms of reference for this study and how it should be carried out. It is hoped to have it completed by March 31st, 1998.

The Authority will be also be working with the bookmakers to implement the terms of a nine-point agreement on betting shops and others matters concerning ring bookmakers, which it hopes to finalise shortly. For their part, the bookmakers have agreed to the introduction of a new direct debit system for levy collection and arrangements will be made to put this into effect in the near future.

Whether any of this will mean that the bookmakers will have to agree to end their unforgiveable practice of withholding winnings until after the following race has been run is not stated. But the first cracks in this policy are starting to appear and for some time one of their number, David Coleman, has being paying out after each race.