RACING/2005 Statistics: Horse Racing Ireland yesterday brought the statistical curtain down on a momentous 2005 with the sport's ruling body describing the past 12 months as probably the most successful ever for Irish racing.

A record nine winners at the Cheltenham festival, the UK's five major National Hunt races and Aidan O'Brien's trawl of three of the five classics in Britain has contributed to a distinct feelgood factor in the industry and HRI attempted to add even further to that with yesterday's statistics for 2005.

HRI reported an all time attendance record of 1.43 million customers attending race meetings in this country with an average attendance of almost 5,000 per meeting. That is a 3.1 per cent improvement on the previous year. The number of fixtures did increase though by eight from 2004 to a total of 313.

Significantly betting figures overall were up, including the on-course bookmaker turnover which had been down by 6.6 million half way through the year. The overall total for those bookmakers was up 1.6 million to €176.1 million.That is a marginal 0.8 per cent increase for that particular sector but total betting on the country's racecourses, which also includes the Tote and SP betting shops, was up 1.6 per cent to 236.7 million.

HRI's chief executive Brian Kavanagh expressed satisfaction with the results and also pointed to the 28.7 per cent increase in bloodstock sales to €145.6 million as a real indicator of the industry's current strength.

Kavanagh added: "Record attendance figures are particularly satisfying as this is a key sign of the health of racing as a sport. It was achieved despite a difficult start to the year when January/February attendances fell victim to the extreme weather conditions.

"With the availability of live television pictures, and the variety of options now on offer in a fiercely competitive betting market, racecourses are responding well to the challenge of the changing marketplace."

There were significant changes to the sport's taxation systems in 2005 with the start of the end of stallion tax exemptions and the slashing of betting shop tax from two to one per cent which will be absorbed by the betting shops.

Kavanagh's stated, however, that HRI's targets for 2006 will again focus on racecourse facilities and that prizemoney totals will increase from 52.3 million to €56 million.

"Racing is now attracting a new kind of racegoer. Young socialisers, including more women than before, are trying racing for the first time. The task now is to retain their loyalty and make them informed and committed racegoers," he said.

"Central to the task is the provision of first class facilities and in this regard one of the most significant announcements of the year was the decision to approve the constructions of Ireland's first all-weather track at Dundalk," Kavanagh added.

The Dundalk facility is due to open in the spring of next year while long term plans for the re-development of both the Curragh and Leopardstown will soon be presented to the HRI board.

"2005 was probably the most successful year ever for Irish racing. Irish horses won over 11 million overseas and the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals surpassed even our most optimistic expectations," Kavanagh said. "We also saw history being made when Frances Crowley trained Saoire to win the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Nina Carberry became the first woman to win against professionals at the Cheltenham festival," he added.

Total on-course betting: Up 1.6 per cent from 233m to 236.7m.

On-course bookmakers: Up 0.8 per cent from 174.7m to €176.1m.

Tote betting: Up 3.8 per cent from €47.4m to 49.3m.

On course betting shops: Up 3.7 per cent from 10.9m to 11.3m.

Attendances: Up 3.1 per cent from 1,386,517 to 1,430,122.

Bloodstock sales at public auction: Up 28.7 per cent from 113.1m to €145.6m.

New owner registrations: Down 3.1 per cent from 1,000 to 969.

Number of horses in training: Up 4.4 per cent from 6004 to 6270.

Number of races: Up 2 per cent from 2196 to 2241.

Total prizemoney: Down 0.4 per cent from €52.5m to 52.3m.

Total number of runners: Up 6.1 per cent from 29,696 to 31,532.

Total sponsorship: Up 3.9 per cent from €7.6m to 7.9m.