Ireland will have more horse racing in 2027 than ever before

In a rapidly changing Ireland there is comfort in the knowledge that events like the Listowel Harvest Festival remain more or less the same as they have been for generations.

I'm sure the inaugural Listowel Festival back in 1862 was a far cry from the modern version in many aspects. Back then there were no permanent structures on the island racecourse and the event was run over just three days.

It wasn't until 2002 that the Festival was extended to the seven day marathon we see today, but the essence of Listowel has remained true to its humble beginnings.

It's still local and rural and craic and mayhem all rolled into one. In many respects a snapshot of the best parts of the Ireland I grew up in.

There is a simplicity to Listowel. It remains about local people and the farming community gathering for one last knees-up before winter sets in.

And it is particularly significant that horse racing remains at the heart of all this.

Horse racing is in a constant battle to remain relevant as its share of mainstream media attention wanes, but in enclaves like Listowel the sport continues to thrive.

On the wider front horse racing is coming under increasing pressure. Its revenue model which is co-dependent on a benevolent Government and a robust gambling market is looking increasingly shaky with the latter revenue stream in freefall.

The next round of Media Rights negotiations between Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the picture providers will be scrutinised like never before. The current deal took an age to be ratified by the 26 racecourses back in 2023, as not all tracks were happy with their share of the pie.

HRI have a bit of time on their side before needing to deal with that particular can of worms as the current deal runs through to 2028, but It will take one hell of a juggling act to keep all racecourses on side for the next deal with the pot of money on offer likely to shrink considerably.

The allocation of fixtures is another area where HRI is going to have to thread carefully with the racecourses, while also remaining vigilant that the average number of runners per race doesn't fall much further.

Last week HRI released the fixture list for 2027.

HRI has increased the total number of fixtures in the year by 6 to accommodate the new all-weather track at Tipperary which is set to open its doors on 23rd October 2027.

The 396 fixtures scheduled for 2027 is the highest ever number of annual fixtures in Ireland.

Back in 2002 when the Listowel Harvest Festival was extended to 7 days there were only 279 fixtures in that year. A 42% increase in fixtures over the space of 23 years is rather impressive, but is it sustainable?

Back in 2002 the average number of runners per race was a healthy 14.2. By 2025 that average was 11.5 runners per race. In 2027 the average is likely to drop further as the number of horses in training are not keeping pace with the fixtures.

Tipperary will stage 9 fixtures in the two and a bit months they are open for business in 2027. That would equate to around 45 fixtures in a full year.

The sport here cannot sustain that number of additional fixtures, so it is my guess that other tracks are going to have to lose some of their allocation to accommodate the Tipperary all-weather.

It's hard to know where the axe might fall, but it would be disappointing if the likes of the Listowel Harvest Festival was messed around with.

Included in next year's fixture list are some tweaks to race dates to avoid clashes with other events. An Oasis gig at Slane Castle sees nearby Navan Racecourse switch a fixture from a Saturday afternoon to the previous Thursday evening in early September, while later that month the Listowel Festival itself will begin on the Monday after the Ryder Cup finishes in Adare Manor.

Both of these changes are purely logistical. It would be a nightmare trying to get horseboxes and other essential personnel past the blockages of Slane and Adare during those high profile events.

I doubt there is much crossover between Oasis fans and Navan's regular audience, but the Ryder Cup is a different kettle of fish. Golf is one of the fastest growing sports globally and there will be massive interest in the event at JP McManus' Adare Manor.

During the first two days of competitive action at Adare Manor there will be four race meetings held in Ireland. Downpatrick and Dundalk on the Friday and Gowran Park and Navan on the Saturday.

I'd be surprised if those fixtures end up as anything other than industry days as it is difficult to see any of them attracting a paying audience.

The Ryder Cup is huge for Ireland and it won't do horse racing any harm that one of its biggest supporters owns the golf course.

It's hard to envisage much of a direct spin off for horse racing, though I'm sure Listowel's race committee will be doing their level best to woo the golf fans to continue their Ryder Cup party 52km down the road for another seven days.