THE search for the next chairman of Horse Racing Ireland has begun.

Current chairman Joe Keeling steps down officially next March but his successor is expected to be revealed well before that date, so they can shadow him in the role.

Racehorse owner and breeder Nick Hartery has been tipped for the job. The businessman is currently chairman of Cement Roadstone Holdings, a FTSE 100 company worth €27 billion and employing 87,000 people worldwide.

Keeling could not resist a swipe at the Government in his speech at the HRI Awards this week. While acknowledging the support of Michael Creed, the Minister for Agriculture, for the sector, Keeling said he was disappointed by the Government’s failure to increase betting tax and, in turn, safeguard the long-term funding for racing.

Racing received €64 million in state funds through the Horse & Greyhound Fund this year and this will remain at the same level in 2018 despite HRI’s lobby for an increase prior to a budget announcement.

Referencing the Deloitte report which said the racing and breeding industries contributed €1.8 billion to the Irish economy, Keeling said: “In this country there are 50 thoroughbreds per 10,000 of population, a figure which is many multiples of our global competitors and 10 times more than Britain. All this serves to underline how disappointed I am with the baffling lack of support we received from the Government this year. Why ignore the solution put forward?”

He said the funding for racing was “a stimulus, not a subsidy” and added that, with improved support from Government, “we could be number one in the world and not number three.”

Reflecting on his time in office, Keeling said he was most proud of the improvements made for racehorse owners (in terms of costs and prize money) and the investment in racecourse facilities. The creation of Irish Champions Weekend and the Dublin Racing Festival were significant achievements, he said.

The HRI board met on Thursday this week and will meet again next Friday when the budgets for 2018 will be finalised. The board has no role in the appointment of the chairman, who is selected by the Minister for Agriculture.

A Department spokesperson told The Irish Field: “Mr Keeling’s term expires on March 19th. His successor will be appointed through the Public Appointment Service system. It is anticipated that this process will begin in the coming weeks.”