€18,000 cash prizes available to racing yards
To recognise and acknowledge the high standards of care and attention racehorses receive, particularly from stable staff, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) have launched the ‘Irish Thoroughbred Welfare Council best-turned out league’.
Participating racecourses will record their best-turned-out winners. In turn, HRI will then aggregate the data and create the best-turned out league table.
| Racing yard criteria | Flat | National Hunt |
| Top 10 yards by number of runners | €3,000 | €3,000 |
| 11th – 25th yards by number of runners | €3,000 | €3,000 |
| All other yards | €3,000 | €3,000 |
A yard can win a prize in both Flat and National Hunt categories. The specific category which a yard fits will be established at year end, when the number of runners is calculated. If there is a tie, then the prize will be divided. The prize goes to the team in the winning yard.
John Osborne, Equine Welfare & Bloodstock Director at HRI, said: “The care of our horses is largely in the hands of our stable staff whose work is greatly appreciated. The presentation of the horses is really a reflection of all the days spent preparing the horses at home. The best turned out league will particularly highlight the yards which consistently do well even if they are at a numerical disadvantage. The work required is the same, whether the yard is small or large.”
The Irish Thoroughbred Welfare Council (ITWC) was created in 2020 to help HRI with the formation of initiatives to enhance the care and welfare of our horses and it is widely acknowledged that the welfare of our horses and the care for our workforce are closely aligned.
