Regulation and Administration of Irish horse racing to merge into single body It has been announced that the regulatory functions of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) will transfer to Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) from the beginning of 2027. This move will align Irish horse racing with the UK model of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) where both the regulatory and administration functions of the sport are under the one organisation. Long-Term Cost Savings and Voluntary Redundancies This merger is expected to result in long-term cost savings for the industry as there are currently some duplications of roles. These cost savings will require a small number of voluntary redundancies within each organisation. HRI staff working in certain departments will be able avail of the existing voluntary redundancy scheme on offer within their organisation. The same scheme will be extended to IHRB staff, but due to the precedent set by the early retirement package awarded to the IHRB’s former CEO Denis Egan in 2021, all IHRB staff will have the opportunity to canvass previous employers to top up their severance payments beyond the scheme’s normal limits. Remaining IHRB staff will move to HRI’s headquarters at Ballymany on the outskirts of Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Boutique Hotel Development and Relocation Plans The nearby IHRB offices, adjacent to the Curragh Racecourse, will be redeveloped as a boutique hotel. The works on this project will be funded by HRI’s capital development fund and once completed will become owned and managed by the Curragh Racecourse Limited. As part of the overall agreement to merge the two organisations into one, the CEOs of both IHRB and HRI will share the role going forward, while IHRB will no longer nominate three persons to the Board of HRI. These seats will in future be nominated by the Turf Club.
