With the 2016 season well and truly concluded we take a look back over the highlights of the year past for harness racing in Ireland.
- A record in excess of half a million euro in prize money (€514,000) was achieved in 2016 with increases in all three geographic regions.
- 46 individual race days with 360 individual races.
- 340 competing horses and just short of 2,500 individual starts.
- All the major racing festivals the Vincent Delaney, Barney Joyce & Red John Memorials see record increases in prize money, competitors and visitors.
- January 2016 Ireland becomes a full member of UET.
- Dundalk Stadium hosts four International style meetings which were lived streamed to Australia in conjunction with SIS with the first ever on course Tote Betting for harness racing in Ireland.
- Dundalk Stadium September 25th the first ever International broadcast and wagered Irish harness racing meeting in conjunction with Racing & Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) returned a better that expected betting revenue figure in the given circumstances.
- A team of 6 French Drivers compete in a race series at Dundalk Stadium against Irish Drivers.
- Sean Kane represents Ireland at the Prix de Rencontres International race at Paris Vincennes in December.
- Ricky Hanson & Alan Richardson receive the prestigious award for the leading Irish owned Trotteur Francais horse of 2016 Vichy De Moem at the International Awards ceremony in Paris Vincennes December 2016.
- The IHRA announces a new 3 Year Old Trotteur Francais Stakes series for 2017 with an estimated total purse of €125,000. With the first consignment of 26 two year olds purchased and shipped to Ireland in December the remainder of the order of approximately 50 in total will be fulfilled in January together with a supplementary stock of some 20 race horses.
- Le Trot/PMU announces the first trial PMU fixture to be held in Ireland in 2017.
- The Minister for Agriculture announces the appointment of International Consultancy firm Indicon to do an economic study and review on the Irish Harness Racing sector.
Looking ahead for 2017 the IHRA expects the prize money barrier of €700,000 to be achieved based on the current projections of €435,000 for Trotters and €270,000 for Pacers, with increases expected across the major festivals, the Vincent Delaney, the Barney Joyce and the Red John Memorials and the addition of another two day festival in June the Grendon Memorial together with the PMU meeting at Dundalk and some other possible projects still in the pipeline.
With the economic study expected to be concluded in early 2017 which hopefully results in the first ever Government funding for the Harness Racing sector, the provision of a much needed all weather facility for Cork is a matter of priority together with an International standard racing venue.
The target for 2018 is the magic €1 Million mark as the ever changing landscape of harness racing enters a new era………..its onwards and upwards.
