THERE was €11.5 million in prize money available in handicap races on the flat in Ireland in 2019. That is 638 races with an average of €18,000 per race.

While giving evidence at the Chris Gordon - Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA) case at the High Court recently, the IRTA chief executive Michael Grassick said: “We have 350 trainers in our association and I would say there is about 20 or 30 of those making a good living out of it, I would say 85% of them are on the breadline.”