The horse racing and bloodstock industry is one of the biggest employers in the country, and so makes a big contribution to the nation in many ways, including taxes.

Well done to the connections of Hurricane Fly. He is one of the most brilliant hurdlers of the modern era, and yet still young enough that he could have two or three more years of top level competition ahead of him.

no thats gambling your getting mixed up with.. i cant find one reason why horseracing isnt a sport??

well ireland is one of the leading horse racing countries in the world if not the best, it took decades of selective breeding to produce these animals yet u say that it should not be respected as a sport because it mite cost a few bucks to by a decent horse..pathetic! do you realise you can gamble on anything these days football tennis golf even the wheather but there is some people that over indulge – a fool and his monet will part soon!

haha no i dont buy the racing post or gamble on my fone you sad individual but my father is a horse breeder (grouse lodge, kellystown jack look them up) if your wondering and i rarely gamble either but im obviously interested in racing.. talk about valid points? your whole point is a joke with 75 red thumbs?! yes almost anyone can play football.. thats the unique thing about them sports but to be a jockey you have to be small, light and a good fear capacity (somehow i doubt you be able to stay on a horse travelling 55mph over a 6fence) you have to be very skilled and well trained just like a pro footballer in tge pl. with local ecomony the top four or five race meetings are worth approx ?100million to our ecomony and no its not all from gambling, its from food accomation alcohal transport sponsership and tv rights. and of course there is jockeys and people with interest in horses at the crowd along with a few gamblers but there everywhere!

Man tom wat do u think?

fake twitter account with picture of a battleship? that explains everything

I do enjoy horse racing myself and do have the occasional punt on the gg’s but all in all it is quite a dangerous sport with a very large dose of cruelty involved.
In 2012 alone, 142 horses never made it home and either died or were put down due to injury during the races in the UK and Ireland alone.
So far, in 2013, the number of dead horses stands at 4. They are the following:

Gougane (ire) – ran Huntington – fell, broke neck. 11-01-13
Imperial Guest – ran Kempton – fractured leg, destroyed. 02-01-13
Baltimoar (ire) – ran Ayr – pulled up injured, destroyed. 02-01-13
Ashbourne Folly (ire) – ran Exeter – injured in race, destroyed. 01-01-2013

Who cares.. Horse racing only causes debt & misery .. & is full of massive tax breaks for the super rich ..Don’t know how it is classed as a sport.. Not much exercise in handing money over the counter to paddy power & nipping back to the pub next door