Horse Racing Ireland is set to implement a number of changes in an attempt to increase field sizes.
A decision taken earlier this year to pay prize money down to fifth place in all races has already yielded positive results, with the number of individual runners earning prize money up from 3,606 to 4,121, compared to the same period in 2015.
This represents an upturn from 59% to 65%.
The governing body had already extended the 10am declaration deadline for weight-for-age races with less than five declarations by 15 minutes and the noon entry deadline will now also be increased by 45 minutes for any race with less than 10 original entries.
No withdrawal of an entry [including any new entries made after noon] may be made within this supplementary time period.
In calculating the ten figure, a maximum of two entries per trainer will be counted, and HRI’s RAS system now displays the number of different trainers who have made entries for races.
Trainers will be notified by RAS and via text message when any race is reopened for additional entries.
The summer novice season has been altered to allow horses who win a hurdle or chase for the first time after 1 February [rather than 1 March] to run in novice races until the Fairyhouse Winter Festival meeting in December [rather than Tipperary’s meeting in early October].
However, the measure does not extend to any horse who wins a Grade One race prior to the end of the Punchestown Festival.
HRI director of racing Jason Morris said of the changes: “HRI is introducing these measures with the aim of attracting more runners in races which might have historically struggled with small entries and in attempt to improve field sizes at specific times of concern within the National Hunt season.
“HRI is always striving to improve the competitiveness of Irish racing, and it is pleasing to report that our average field sizes have increased in 2016, particularly in the second half of the year.”
