Yearly growth in business at betting shops owned by Stanley Leisure in Ireland grew at double digit rates despite the absence of Irish race meetings and cancellation of more than 200 English meetings due to the foot-and-mouth disease and bad weather, writes Sebastian Taylor.

Strong growth in turnover at the group's 50 outlets in Ireland was particularly remarkable, as cancelled English meetings included the Cheltenham Festival that generates significant interest among Irish punters.

The double-digit increase in Irish betting turnover in the year end to April compared with only 6 per cent through the group's English outlets and half of the English increase was due to new betting shops. Like-for-like growth was only 3 per cent in England.

John Whittaker, racing director at Stanley Leisure, ascribed the buoyant Irish betting market to the "feel good" factor in Ireland generally and to the 1999 reductions in betting duty. Both the average bet and betting frequency increased, he said. Annual pre-tax profit before goodwill amortisation fell from £29.5 million sterling to £26.8 million on turnover up 6 per cent at £480 million.