Irish horse-racing is on the increase. Over �230 million was bet last year at race meetings with �176m bet on course, whilst courses saw record attendances.

Irish horse racing chief exec Brian Kavanagh noticed the increase

He noted the number of newcomers to racing, in particular young people socialising at festival and summer evening meetings.

"Young socialisers, including more women than before, are trying racing for the first time. The task now is to retain their loyalty and make them informed and committed race-goers who will enjoy the racing experience for many years to come," he said.

1.43 million people attended meetings, betting an average �165

Other stats:
on-course betting increased 1.6% to �236.7m.
The Tote grew by 3.8% to �49.3m.
bookmaker betting on-course, showed growth of �1.6m to �176.1m.
313 total number of fixtures
44,000 more punters than 2004
Prize money to increase �56m in the next 12 months.

Article: Punters place �230m at race meetings