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2022 Irish Fixture List Published

A total of 390 fixtures will be run in Ireland in 2022, with the fixture list published on Tuesday. There are 387 fixtures on the list at this stage with three 'floating fixtures' to be kept in reserve to be programmed at short notice by the Horse Racing Ireland Fixtures Committee. There will be 346 turf fixtures (up from 339 in 2021) and 44 all-weather fixtures (up from 41 this year). Six Sundays have been kept blank-Apr. 24, June 19, July 24, Aug. 28, Sept. 4 and Oct. 9, and the number of Saturday evening meetings has been reduced from four to three-Bellewstown (July 2), Kilbeggan (Aug. 6), and Tramore (Aug. 13). The Flat season begins at The Curragh on Mar. 26, with Dundalk's Winter AWT Finals conducted the day prior on Mar. 25. Held over a week from July 25-31, the Galway Festival will remain a mixed meeting of Flat and National Hunt cards. The full fixture list may be viewed here.

Jason Morris, HRI's Director of Racing, said, “We continue to see strong growth in our horse population numbers (up 19% year-on-year) and average field size figures (up from 11.8 to 12.3 runners per race), and this is reflected in the increased fixture list that we are announcing for 2022. By retaining three meetings to be allocated at short notice during next year, we can retain flexibility to respond quickly to the demands of the horse population as they materialise in 2022.”

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Irish Champion S. Day to Be World Pool Event

Longines Irish Champion S. Day will be a World Pool event for the first time, Horse Racing Ireland announced. Sept. 11 marks the collaboration between the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Tote, Horse Racing Ireland and the Racecourse Media Group at Leopardstown where racing fans from around the world will have the opportunity to bet into a single pool, ensuring larger and deeper pools, differentiated pricing, and the opportunity for unequalled value for Tote customers. Created and hosted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club since 2018, over 20 leading racing nations, including Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, and the US have been part of World Pool to date.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “I am pleased to see Ireland become the fourth racing jurisdiction to participate in World Pool following the UK, Dubai and South Africa. The World Pool provides customers from around the globe the opportunity to tap into the global pool with unmatched liquidity and is a significant source of additional income for our content partners during these challenging times. During the past summer of World Pool meetings, Goodwood and York festivals were simulcast for the first time. The next focus of attention will be the Irish Champion Stakes Day which is the first time an Irish race will be included in World Pool. We wish Horse Racing Ireland every success on the day.”

Added HRI Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh, “We are delighted that the Hong Kong Jockey Club have made Irish Champion Stakes Day at Leopardstown a World Pool event for the first time. This is both great news for Irish Tote bettors and for Leopardstown, underlining the benefits of Tote operators around the world coming together to provide bigger pools and better value. We look forward to continuing work with the Hong Kong Jockey Club and all involved in World Pool as it continues to grow and develop.”

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Crowd Capacity Increased at Irish Racecourses From Sept. 6

Irish racecourses can host up to 50% of their outdoor capacity beginning on Sept. 6 following the Irish Government's latest COVID-19 response roadmap, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Thursday. Racecourses may also utilise 60% of their indoor capacity for hospitality purposes should attendees consume food and beverages indoors as long as they provide evidence of their Digital Covid Vaccine Cert (DCC). Attendance in both spheres will be increased to 100% as long as all covid restrictions are lifted on Oct. 22.

Regarding Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 11 and 12, tickets for both cards go on sale on Sept. 3 for racegoers who have registered their interest ahead of time, with the remaining tickets going on general sale on Monday. Leopardstown and The Curragh will each be allowed to host a maximum of 4,000 attendees. Both days will be mixed outdoor events and access to indoor spaces is allowed with proof of a vaccine required for those consuming food and beverages indoors. The seven-day Listowel Harvest Festival from Sept. 19-Sept. 25 will host a maximum of 2,000 attendees per day and it is an outdoor-only event.

Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said: “It has been a very difficult 18 months for everybody in society, and racing can be proud of the way it has come through it. However, without racegoers, racing has been missing one of its essential ingredients.

“Like many industries, there is still much work to do, but there is now real progress and forward steps to normality. Welcoming back racegoers in measured but increasing numbers, is one of those steps and from Monday, Irish racecourses will be free to use 50% of their capacity to allow racegoers back on the track in real numbers.

“And as we know, this good news comes just in time for some of our most important race meetings: the Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and the Curragh on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12, and Listowel's Harvest Festival which begins on Sunday, Sept. 19.

“I would like to thank all our customers for their patience and look forward to race meetings becoming just that again–a place where racegoers can meet each other in a safe environment and enjoy our great sport.”

Tim Husbands, Chief Executive of Leopardstown Racecourse, said, “It is great news, and I can't tell you how happy and relieved the whole Leopardstown team is to be finally selling tickets and getting ready to welcome people back racing. We've been working hard for quite some time on making the racecourse a safe and pleasurable place for people to enjoy comfortably in these unique times.”

Evan Arkwright, Chief Executive (Interim) Curragh Racecourse, added, “We were thrilled to hear the positive news earlier this week which will now allow us to welcome back a significant number of attendees for Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”

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Irish Tracks’ Chief “Frustrated” By Crowd Restrictions

Paddy Walsh, chief executive officer of the Association of Irish Racecourses, has said his “members are frustrated” as tracks continue to be restricted to very limited crowds.

While British racecourses are back at full capacity and other sports and sectors in Ireland are seeing restrictions eased, Irish racecourses remain limited to 500 patrons, with exceptions made to allow 1,000 at the Irish Derby meeting and the Galway Festival.

Horse Racing Ireland is seeking exceptions to allow larger crowds at next month's Harvest Festival at Listowel and Irish Champions Weekend, and has also submitted a request to Irish government to further ease restrictions at racecourses and increase attendance.

“Although we appreciate that navigating the reopening of society and easing of restrictions is an onerous task, our members are frustrated,” Walsh said. “They have done everything that has been asked of them, facilities have been turned inside out to ensure that protocols and guidelines have been meticulously adhered to at tracks nationwide. While the association fully respects public health, restrictions have eased considerably in other sectors and sports and we would like to see more progress in this regard for our members and the wider horse racing industry.”

A press release from AIR further added: “Close consultation will continue over the coming weeks with all parties committed to playing their role in supporting the industry's best efforts to encourage the easing of restrictions all the while protecting the continuity of racing and overall public health.”

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