DARKER SIDE TO ROSY IHA FIGURES

Betting turnover is up. Crowds are up. Sponsorship is up, and boy is prize-money up. That`s the rosy picture from the Irish Horseracing Authority (IHA) end of year figures for 2000. But is everything really so hunky dory?

The introduction of tax-free betting in July 1999 has obviously had a major affect to on-course bookmaker turnover, which increased by over 23% last year to nearly 130 million.

The turnover off-course is even more impressive, jumping by 27% to 927 million, although this figure has surely been greatly boosted by the extended opening hours of shops both for evening meetings and Sundays.

Most outlets opened their doors for a series of British Sunday meetings last summer, while a number are also on duty for the seemingly never-ending Irish programme on `the day of rest`.

However it is attendance and prize-money numbers which really give the most cause for concern. The total crowd figure has risen marginally to 1.35 million but, with the amount of meetings ever-increasing (can an eight-day Galway Festival be far away?) and the leisure spend of the Celtic Tiger in full flow, is that really impressive?

There is certainly a growing divide between the so-called `big days` and the `bread & butter` meetings. Just turn up at Thurles any Thursday, not to mention Cork (yes the flagship of the south) on all those prime weekend and bank holiday dates, and you would fear for the future of the sport!

Prize-money has increased sharply in recent months, and it appears that huge Government grant is being diverted straight into boosting race values. What about the punter that is betting in record amounts? Does he/she not deserve the luxury (!!!) of decent facilities at a reasonable price? It seems prize-money increases as field sizes shrink. Papillon had just two buddies to share the lolly with at Fairyhouse on Sunday, and unfortunately that is not a rare occurrence.

On a happier note, the romance of National Hunt racing was again in evidence at Gowran Park on Thursday when Bob Treacy captured the Cuisine De France Thyestes Chase. This #65,000 event is the highlight of the year at the Co. Kilkenny track, and the 12 year old gelding - who also won the race in 1999 - is owned, trained and bred by another veteran, 81 year old Michael Hickey.

There were an estimated 10,000 racegoers at Gowran, generating a course Tote record of #151,310, but many will remember the afternoon as a very negative experience. A succession of shock results ensured that bookmakers went home with bulging satchels but the anger of punters was vented on the course management for chaotic traffic congestion both before and after racing.

Many people simply turned around and went home after sitting in long queues of traffic approaching the track, while tempers were at boiling point for a considerable time after racing as the car parks emptied slower than a pub at closing time.

Incidentally, just how much bookmakers can line their pockets on a good afternoon was illustrated by reports that Limerick layer Ciaran Skelly has forked out #135,000 for a pitch at Cheltenham.

The former racecourse at Greenpark on the outskirts of Limerick City has finally gone to the dogs with news this week that a greyhound track and leisure complex, costing in the region of ten million punts, will be built on part of the site.