RACING: The return of live television coverage of Irish racing has been blamed for the sharp dip of 4.6 per cent in betting turnover with on-course bookmakers in Ireland last year.

The figures released yesterday as part of Horse Racing Ireland's statistics for 2004 will be uncomfortable reading for many within the betting industry despite on-course bookmaker turnover reaching 174.4 million. Last year's figure was 183 million.

Despite a seven per cent rise in Tote betting to 47.4 million, and another increase in on-course betting shops, total betting is down 1.8 per cent and the Irish National Bookmakers Association is in no doubt as to where the fault lies.

"We're blaming it completely on live pictures," said their spokesman Francis Hyland yesterday. "Our turnover for the first six months was actually up and then the pictures came back. So that means the figures for the last six months are actually much worse than 4.6 per cent." Significantly Hyland was not blaming the impact of betting exchanges despite the extra competition they have brought.

"There is so much racing now that people, quite understandably, stay at home and watch it on television. At some of the smaller meetings, its desperate trying to make any kind of book. But the betting exchanges themselves only squeeze margins," he said.

Live pictures of Irish racing returned last year after an almost 18-month blank on digital coverage.

Total attendances at Irish race tracks last year failed to match the 2003 record figure of almost 1.4 million. There was a 0.7 per cent decrease to 1,386,517.

The HRI chief executive, Brian Kavanagh, said: "We knew 2004 would be a very competitive market place, particularly with the Olympics and Euro 2004. In that climate I am delighted to see the continuing dynamism of Irish racing."