Prize-money in Ireland rises by €1m with minimum levels for Pattern races also increasing in HRI 2025 budget

Calls for Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) to increase prize-money levels have been heeded after it announced an injection of €1 million in its 2025 budget.

HRI received an increase of more than €3m in the government's 2025 budget, bringing funding up to €79.28m for the industry, and this has been utilised to increase minimum levels of prize-money in Listed and Graded/Group races on the Flat and over jumps. Total prize-money will be up to €70.9m.

Listed races on the Flat will benefit from an increase of 20 per cent to minimum values, from €37,500 to €45,000, as will Group 3 contests, which will be raised from €50,000 to €60,000.

Open Grade 3 races over jumps will benefit from a 36 per cent increase from €27,500 to €37,500, while open Grade 2 races will leap from €35,000 to €45,000 (up 29 per cent), exceeding pre-Covid minimums. Minimum values for novice Grade 3 races are also subject to an increase, albeit more modest, from €27,500 to €30,000 (up nine per cent), while novice Grade 2 races will now be worth at least €37,500, a seven per cent rise on the previous figure.

The announcement follows criticism over the distribution of prize-money in Ireland. Leading Flat trainer Ger Lyons argued more money should be directed towards the better quality horses, while former top jockey Davy Russell also called for an increase in this area in a column he penned for the Racing Post this year.

Suzanne Eade, chief executive at HRI, said: "HRI has consulted with key stakeholders in determining both prize-money strategy and funding the handicap band changes for 2025, including optimising the impact of racecourse contributions to prize-money. 

HRI chief executive Suzanne EadeCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"These changes are seen as crucial to the attraction of inward investment into Irish racing, the widening of the ownership base, and the retention of both owners and horses.”

Equine welfare activities and welfare-grant funding will increase by €200,000 to €3.7m and investment in industry education and training will rise by €400,000 to €1.1m. 

HRI also noted that "progress is being made on the advancement of the strategic change agenda in relation to the campus at Race [Racing Academy and Centre of Education]". The future of Race was thrown into doubt last year when its residential areas were forced to close and two-thirds of staff were made redundant in order to secure the institution's future.

Integrity funding will rise to €17.8m, an increase of €500,000 on 2024, and funding for the point-to-point sector will remain at €2.7m.

Further investment in racecourse facilities, including the Tipperary all-weather development, was nominated as a priority for the coming year by Eade.

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