Jackie Cahill speaks out about Point-to-Point racing

Point-to-pointing is the shop window for the selling of the majority of our national hunt young horses

Tipperary's Fianna Fail Deputy Jackie Cahill has expressed his concerns about the recent decision to exclude Point-to-Point racing as an elite sport for the purposes of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Chairperson of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine wrote to the Minister stating the committee’s opinion that an online bidding process would not be viable under Level 5 restrictions. Cahill has requested that marts be allowed meet in person, with a maximum of 20 people allowed enter for bidding purposes, as broadband in many parts or rural Ireland does not have the capacity for marts to operate online, as was hoped under Level 5.

Above: Tipperary FF Deputy Jackie Cahill

Commenting on the matter, Deputy Cahill said: “This decision is going to have very serious financial implications for our world-renowned National Hunt Industry. This is a time sensitive issue and the window for the sale of three-year olds down to yearlings and foals is narrow. Point-to-pointing is the shop window for the selling of the majority of our national hunt young horses and if we miss a year’s racing, the sales of these horses will be severely impacted.”

“I am asking the Government what financial plans or rescue package are in place to protect the entire National Hunt breeding industry which will be severely impacted by this decision. There are thousands of livelihoods dependant on this industry, and each one is linked to the other. We are talking about ordinary people the length and breadth of the country that are looking at major financial losses this year as sales decrease dramatically as a result of the cancellation of the point-to-point season,” Cahill concluded.