Horse Racing Ireland announces 2016 fixtures plan
Tuesday 22 September 2015 16:28, UK
The number of fixtures to be staged in Ireland next year will be 355, the same as in 2015.
Horse Racing Ireland confirmed the total comprises of 335 permanent fixtures, the 14 extra Dundalk Friday evening meetings introduced in 2011, plus six additional race meetings.
These, allocated on a one-year-only basis to provide opportunities at times when there is the greatest demand from the horse population, are: Fairyhouse (April 5), Ballinrobe (April 15), Navan (May 28), Naas (September 21), Curragh (October 10) and Gowran Park (October 18).
The late-March location of Easter 2016 means Fairyhouse's Irish Grand National meeting comes just nine days after the Cheltenham Festival.
However, there is two-week break to Aintree and more than four weeks to the Punchestown Festival.
Other interesting points include a slightly earlier start to the Flat season at the Curragh on March 20, the beach meeting at Laytown clashing with the Tuesday of the Listowel Festival (September 13) and the normal two-day end of season meeting at Leopardstown in late October being split to successive Sundays (23 and 30).
Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: "I am pleased that we have been able to retain the same overall number of fixtures for 2016.
"Irish racing still remains very competitive, with our average field size for the year to date at 10.6 runners per race and a pleasing increase on the Flat for entries, declarations and individual runners."
