HORSE Racing Ireland [HRI] will engage with stakeholders in the National Hunt industry in the coming weeks with a view to working on “supply challenges” in jump racing.

Next week HRI will release key racing statistics for 2024 which are expected to show a decline in the number of National Hunt runners. This week alone three races on today’s Navan card were re-opened for late entries and five races at Thurles tomorrow have fewer than 10 runners.

The recent icy spell is likely to have interrupted training schedules and flat racing has also been affected. Last night’s Dundalk fixture had 64 runners across seven races. The same meeting last year had 84 runners in eight races.

Looking back through the past year, several of the biggest handicap chases have seen a drop in participating numbers. While the Thyestes, Galway Plate, Kerry National and Paddy Power Chase had the same number of runners in 2024 as they did in 2023, there was a drop in the number of runners in the Irish National (from 27 down to 20), Troytown (20 down to 18) and Porterstown (18 down to 13).

Jonathan Mullin, HRI’s director of racing, said: “The 2024 statistics will be released soon and will show a very similar number of runners in 2024 when compared to 2023, with less than a 1% variance year on year.

“Recent weather challenges have caused a concertina effect on National Hunt fixtures and, when coupled with some trainers facing challenges in exercising horses, it is likely to be contributing to the drop in National Hunt entries this month.

“Ground will always be a huge factor when it comes to field sizes. There were four extra flat meetings (versus 2023) in what was a benign October 2024 weather-wise. The total flat runners in that month exceeded the 2023 number by 245 runners, which may explain some of the decrease in runners in the winter with the Dundalk ‘fallback’ for horses who had not managed a back-end turf run, not being as much in demand in late 2024.”

In relation to the number of runners in major staying handicap chases referenced, Mullin said: “Three saw a drop in entries and four remained the same. The Porterstown would certainly have been one impacted by a dry autumn and the drop in runners from 2024 to 2023 (five) equates to the number of ground-related non-runners for the race on the day.

“The early part of 2024 being particularly wet may have had an impact on these specific horses’ ability to compete with the same regularity as other years, while a dry autumn as we know meant many National Hunt horses were delayed getting to the track this winter.”

Mullin added that HRI is monitoring trends in the National Hunt sector. “Weather will clearly explain only some of the numbers however, and Horse Racing Ireland, together with the National Hunt programming advisory group and programmes committee, review all races, and where trends warrant an alteration to any race this is actioned.

“Horse Racing Ireland do recognise that there are supply challenges in National Hunt racing and the recently announced Academy Hurdles is one initiative which is believed can have a positive influence on National Hunt supply going forward. Furthermore, Horse Racing Ireland will be engaging with the National Hunt sector in the first quarter of 2025 to further explore ideas and work with stakeholders to introduce initiatives where required in the area.”