Introduction of evening and Sunday racing last year combined with reductions in betting duty to lift turnover and profits of Stanley Leisure's 50 betting offices in Ireland, contributing to sharp gains in group profits in the year to end-March.

Stanley Leisure chairman Mr Leonard Steinberg said of the Irish operation: "While we expect the increase in turnover to slow down over the next year, we feel that our business will continue to grow as a result of the country's buoyant economy." Group profits rose 32 per cent to £31.1 million sterling (€49.83 million).