HRI's new series is designed to exclude top trainers from the races

Reports that Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry De Bromhead, and Gavin Cromwell are considering a legal challenge to Horse Racing Ireland’s (HRI) new series of 60 National Hunt races—designed to exclude them due to their high number of winners in recent seasons—come as a surprise.

The new series, aimed at trainers with fewer than 50 winners in each of the past two seasons, was broadly welcomed when announced last month. Its goal is to offer more opportunities to the many trainers struggling against the dominance of the top four stables.

Although the approach taken by HRI might seem overly simplistic for addressing a complex issue, and despite criticism for not acting sooner, action is necessary.

Ironically, HRI has played a role in the success of these top trainers by celebrating their achievements, which has helped promote Ireland as a leader in horse racing and secured continued government support.

National Hunt racing in Ireland has become heavily skewed, with the top four trainers dominating both in terms of winners and prize money. Willie Mullins leads with exceptional quality and earnings, while Gordon Elliott, although competitive, trails significantly in prize money.

Last season alone, Mullins trained a record-breaking 257 winners, and Elliott reached 207. To put this in perspective, they would have won every National Hunt race in Ireland from New Year’s Day through to the third race of the Punchestown Festival on May 3rd.

While Mullins and Elliott’s dominance is clear, it’s less justifiable to place De Bromhead and Cromwell in the same category. De Bromhead has never trained 100 winners in a season, and Cromwell has only exceeded 50 winners in three of the past four seasons, with a peak of 72 winners last year.

A more targeted cutoff, such as 100 winners, might have been a fairer approach. 

It’s unlikely that any of the four trainers will follow through with legal action, as it’s hard to see a winning case and the costs may outweigh any potential benefit. HRI has established precedents for similar race series and sets fixture lists, race programs, and prize money.

The new series, accounting for just 4% of National Hunt races and an even smaller percentage of the total prize money, should have minimal impact on the top trainers' bottom lines. It could, however, offer crucial support to other trainers who are struggling.