Tipperary all-weather track will be delayed past 2022

The extra €9.6 million allocated to Irish racing by the Government for 2021 has been described as “very important” to plans by the sport’s ruling body for minimising the impact of coronavirus and Brexit next year.

However it hasn’t prevented plans for building the country’s second all-weather track at Tipperary by 2022 from having to be pushed back.

Huge demand for opportunities to run at the Dundalk circuit has resulted in four extra fixtures being put into the fixture list in the new year and underlined pressure from some owners and trainers for a second all-weather circuit in Ireland.

In its five-year strategic plan unveiled just weeks before lockdown in March, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) proposed such a circuit would be completed and opened at its own facility in Tipperary by 2022.

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However HRI's chief executive Brian Kavanagh said on Friday that date will have to be pushed back.

“We will have to review the timings of that. It has been set back by Covid,” Kavanagh admitted.

The project is estimated to cost about €18 million, a sum that doesn’t take into account any possible development of a new stand or enclosures, but does include provision for the establishment of training facilities at the racecourse.

Kavanagh was speaking after HRI released details of its 2021 budget including plans for capital projects to go ahead despite no end in sight to racing having to continue behind closed doors.

Those plans include a €1.31 million grant for development of the Irish Equine Centre.

The Government’s extra €9.6 million, which brings Horse Racing Ireland’s funding to €76.8 million for 2021, has allowed the HRI board to approve a “progressive” budget according to Kavanagh.

“It is very important. It allows us to continue with our strategic plan. The ambition is to grow the industry. Covid has provided a shock to the system. Brexit could be a shock too. We are trying to protect the industry as much as we can from both of those,” he said.

“We have been about seven months behind closed doors and we were anxious to announce some certainty in a really uncertain environment.”

On Friday HRI announced that minimum prizemoney levels will be restored to €10,000 in 2021. Earlier this year pandemic measures taken by racing’s ruling body included a cut of €1,000 to minimum prizemoney funds.

Tiered reductions saw prize funds for some Group/Grade One races halved.

HRI said that restoration was a “key priority” to support racing’s grassroots and said Group and Graded races will see a “partial clawback” in their levels next year in order to maintain international competitiveness.

Overall prizemoney for 2021 is planned to be €60.7 million. That’s up from the €50.9 million that was up for grabs in 2020.

That figure had to be cut from the originally budgeted €68.1 million after imposed due to Covid-19 and the loss of 40 fixtures. In 2019 there was €66 million of prizemoney available.

HRI also unveiled measures to counteract the twin threat of Covid-19 and Brexit such as a new scheme which sets aside €1.3 million to support breeders and the sale of Irish-bred horses.

Support for racecourses under pressure due to no spectators will also continue on a case by case basis but provision has been made for a national awareness campaign for the safe return of racegoers once it is permitted by Government.

A total of €14 million will be available for integrity and racecourse services including provision for increased out of competition drug testing.

The new Irish Tote alliance with the UK Tote Group will start on New Year’s Day.

“2020 was a year when prudence with the industry’s finances was an absolute necessity and the resilience of our sector enabled many to get through the year,” said Kavanagh.

“That said, 2020 was anything but normal and the spectacle of high quality racing in front of empty stands was a depressingly familiar sight.

“Regrettably this new normal will continue to be the theme as we head into 2021, although recent developments regarding vaccines and travel do allow some cause for optimism regarding a safe return to more normal activity.”