Funding boost for Navan and Fairyhouse

Navan and Fairyhouse racecourses will benefit from funding after the Board of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) approved the creation of a new €1.7 million Racetrack Improvements Scheme which will be financed through funds allocated for the HRI Racecourse Capital Development programme.

The €1.7 million will be spent on improvements in areas such as drainage, track widening, track levelling, canter-downs and watering systems.

HRI will provide grant aid of 40 per cent (up to a maximum grant of €120,000 per racecourse) for qualifying projects already submitted under the main Capital Development scheme.

Works will have to be completed by the end of 2017 and although there is approval in principle for the projects, they will still be required to undergo an individual evaluation process by HRI.

The principal projects, which are expected to be grant-aided by HRI under its new Racecourse Improvements Scheme, comprise:

Navan, Fairyhouse, Killarney and Leopardstown will install new canter down paths to reduce track damage while track widening will be carried out at Fairyhouse to provide extra racing ground.

Significant drainage works will be carried out at Limerick, Leopardstown, Fairyhouse, Tipperary, Clonmel, Killarney and Navan.

Naas Racecourse will invest in a substantial new watering system, while Gowran Park will purchase additional equipment to ensure fast and consistent watering during dry weather.

Cork will benefit from levelling works on their sprint track.

HRI Director of Racing Jason Morris said: “HRI is delighted to be announcing this new Racetrack Improvements Scheme as part of its on-going significant financial commitment towards improving facilities at all Irish racecourses, for which €45 million has already been allocated for the 2015-2019 period.

'The individual projects are all designed to ensure that the racing surface is maintained to the best possible level going forward, be it through additional drainage works, track levelling and widening, enhanced canter downs to reduce wear and tear on the tracks, or new and upgraded watering systems.

'In particular, many of the projects reflect the difficulties that racetracks are facing in coping with the increased rainfall levels and the works to be undertaken should give racecourses the best possible chance of racing during future periods of extreme wet weather,” he added.