The official website of the Irish Harness Racing Association

Members Update: Pacer Stake & €5 Integrity Fee…

 

 

  1. Pacer Stakes Fee

Following a review of the pacer stakes fee, which was agreed by our three committees on 2nd May 2020, the IHRA will continue this stakes fee for 2021. The additional €10 stake fee has helped increase the purse of all pacing races compared with purses from the years pre-2020.

For every €10 pacer stake, the IHRA inputs €20 into the race day’s prizemoney fund. In 2020, a staggering €30,600 was added across all pacing races across all three regions, thanks to this stake fee.    

The IHRA committee discussed that the splitting of races for trainers over the course of the season diluted the prizemoney purses on offer and this will be watched carefully in 2021, where the focus will be to have bigger fields so that the purses can be at an ultimate level. In addition, the purse for G & G’s will be closely monitored to ensure that the purse will remain constant throughout the season as on review of 2020 it was decreased when the pool of pacers entered were small.

 

  1. €5 Integrity Fee

In 2020 we received a grant from the Department of Agriculture through our Equine Support Grant of €41,200 of which the IHRA must make up 30% of the total spend. This grant is for testing equipment and does not include Vets fees.

 

In the past the IHRA would have relied on the money raised from the integrity fee charged per horse to Fund our integrity program which was as we all agreed not anywhere near the standards expected of an NGB of trotting.

 

If the sport was to progress, we needed to address this situation and fund an enhanced integrity program.

 

For the 2020 season the IHRA committees agreed on a €5 fee per entry, which was fully supported by the board, to help fund the cost of having a vet at each race meeting. The following are the costs associated with integrity:

  1. 2020 Equine Support Grant €41,200 (Testing Kits, Laboratory Testing Costs, TCO2 Kits, Transport of Kits from Track to Laboratory) 
  2. Department 70% = €28,840
  3. IHRA 30% = €12,360 (Annual €50 Integrity Fee Budgeted to cover this)
  4. The vets Costs at all Tracks = €11,400 (€5 Integrity Entry Fee Budgeted to cover this)

 

Our 2021 Equine Support Grant Application, which will hopefully be approved next week is as follows:

  1. Grant Application €46,600
  2. Department 70% = €34,420
  3. IHRA 30% = €13,980

 

Our integrity fees are needed to maintain the current programme.