Challenge to Bill would be ‘ill-advised’, says HRI boss

Horse Racing Ireland’s chief executive Brian Kavanagh believes any potential Turf Club legal challenge against sections of the new Horse Racing Ireland Amendment Bill would be “ill-advised” and that the new legislation will actually strengthen the integrity body’s regulatory role.

The Bill is due before the Dáil in June but in a hard-hitting attack this week, Kavanagh’s opposite number at the Turf Club, Denis Egan, outlined how sections of the legislation on racing’s administration would be challenged if it passed into law as it stands.

Egan also said the Department of Agriculture had treated the Turf Club “with total contempt” and officials at the body believe they are not being listened to by the Government when warning of a threat to their regulatory independence.

However Kavanagh denied there were any issues between racing’s two governing bodies.

“The question of a legal challenge is in my view ill-advised and has no basis. The HRI board supports the legislation as it is proposed. It will create a more efficient structure. It will eliminate duplication.

Regulatory role

“The board is satisfied there will be no impact on regulation. In fact it strengthens the regulatory role and clearly defines it. Also clarified are roles in relation to point to point racing which is welcome,” Kavanagh said.

“We have a very good relationship with the Department of Agriculture and they’ve been very supportive of the industry in general, not just HRI, since we transferred back to them in 2010.”