Governing body braced for reduction in funding

RACING:Irish racing's ruling body is braced for another funding cut to the industry in today's budget.

Four separate cuts in the last four years have meant Horse Racing Ireland’s (HRI) exchequer allocation has declined by 25 per cent.

HRI received €45 million in 2012 and the expectation is that the Horse and Greyhound Fund for 2013 will again take a hit.

“I think everyone in the country is anticipating cuts. Realistically, cuts are going to be everywhere. But there does come a time when cutting becomes counterproductive,” warned HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh yesterday.

However, hopes within the industry remain high that any short-term pain will be assuaged in the medium term by progress on the Betting Amendment Bill which will target off-shore and exchange betting revenue.

In comparison, today’s racing action at Wexford will fly under the big-money radar. But champion hunter-chaser Salsify promises to bring a touch of quality to proceedings.

Denied a first run of the winter at the track recently due to the weather, Salsify will hardly relish soft ground conditions. But the Cheltenham Foxhunters hero should have the class to cope.