Paul Murphy TD has received a response from Horse Racing Ireland further to a Dail Question asking Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue “why Horse Racing Ireland claimed that seven horses used at this year's Galway Races festival are confirmed dead when the true figure is at least nine”.
It has since emerged that TEN horses used at the 2024 Galway Races summer festival are now known to be DEAD.
In a statement issued to Deputy Murphy, Horse Racing Ireland commented: “HRI notes that in compiling comparable statistics relating to racecourse fatal injuries, horses which are fatally injured on the track, or which have died within 48 hours are included. Two horses were reported as dead outside this timeframe.”
HRI had previously told Deputy Murphy: "Horse Racing Ireland confirms that the number of Galway Racing Festival track fatalities was seven, six of which were on-track fatalities, and one post-raceday fatality.”
Neither Minister McConalogue nor HRI responded to the part of the Dail Question requesting the causes of the deaths.
The 10 horses used at the week-long Galway Races festival who are now dead have been identified as:
7-year-old British horse Golden Sandbanks who was fatally injured in the “Easyfix Handicap Hurdle” race on 29 July.
7-year-old Chiricahua who “weakened quickly” and was pulled up in the “Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap” race on 29 July.
7-year-old Sionnach Eile who “looked to go wrong” in the “Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap” race on 29 July.
2-year-old horse Show Me Girl who weakened and finished 9th in the “Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF Fillies Maiden” race on 30 July 2024.
6-year-old French horse Foxfire Glow who finished twelfth in a race on 31 July 2024.
3-year-old Flight Of Fancy who was fatally injured in the “Arthur Guinness Irish EBF Corrib Fillies Stakes” race on 1 August.
7-year-old French horse Merlin Giant who suffered a fall in the “Guinness Open Gate Brewery Novice Chase” race on 1 August.
10-year-old Sempo who “looked to go wrong” in the “Guinness Beginners Chase” race on 1 August.
2-year-old Elzem who finished lame and was “found to be lame on his right-hind” leg after a “Whiriskey Refrigeration Irish EBF Nursery Handicap” race on 3 August.
7-year-old Pats Choice who suffered a fall on 4 August.
They are among a growing list of racing victims. Further to an earlier parliamentary question from Paul Murphy TD to the Minister for Agriculture, Horse Racing Ireland released statistics showing that over 1,300 horses have lost their lives at racecourses and point to point races in Ireland since 2012.
Horse Racing Ireland – which has received more than €1.46 Billion in government grants to-date – previously revealed the method of killing to be either lethal injection or a bullet in the head.
The death figures do not include the horses injured at racecourses, taken away and later killed elsewhere or the horses killed behind the scenes because they are not fast enough to win races.
Many more race horses are also killed in slaughterhouses. Between 2016 and 2023, 15,658 thoroughbreds were slaughtered at “Department-approved slaughter facilities” in Ireland.
Horrific cruelty to race horses before slaughter was exposed in the “RTE Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing” documentary which can be viewed at https://youtu.be/ymm0xh3gp7o
ACTION ALERT
Don’t bet on horse racing or attend horse racing events.
Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted €1.46 Billion of public funds to horse racing
Contact the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and demand an end to state funding to this gambling activity which causes so much suffering and death. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Simon Harris TD
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Micheál Martin
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Join us in urging companies to stop sponsoring horse racing
Guinness Ireland
Email: customer.service@diageo.com; Consumerinfo.ireland@diageo.com
The Connacht Hotel
Email: marketing@theconnacht.ie
Tel: +353 91 381200
SuperValu Ireland
Email: group@musgrave.ie
Tel +353 (0) 21 4522100
X: https://twitter.com/Musgraveplc
The SuperValu Ireland Ladies Day meeting took place at Roscommon Racecourse on 8th July 2024. Organisers thanked Supervalu for “making this event possible”. On the day, 5-year-old horse Morning Soldier was pulled up in the “SuperValu Co. Roscommon Ladies Day Novice Hurdle” race and was later confirmed dead.
EMS Copiers
Email: info@emscopiers.ie; sales@emscopiers.ie
Tel: 01 6205501.
Colm Quinn BMW
Email: sales@colmquinnbmw.ie
Tel: 090 646 5888
X: ttps://twitter.com/ColmQuinn_bmw
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colm-Quinn-BMW/117749908310381
Bulmers Irish Cider (also known as Magners Original Irish Cider)
Email: info@bulmers.ie; company.secretary@candcgroup.ie
https://www.facebook.com/bulmersoriginalirishcider
X: https://twitter.com/bulmersireland
In 2022, Bulmers was announced as “the Official Entertainment Partner of Horse Racing Ireland’s Racecourses”, with a Bulmers spokesperson stating: “We are delighted to be expanding and re-energising our long-standing relationship with Horse Racing Ireland and are looking forward to the next three years working to grow the spectator experience at horse racing”
Westmeath County Council/Belvedere House and Gardens
Sponsors racing at Kilbeggan Racecourse
Email: chiefexecutive@Westmeathcoco.ie; info@belvedere-house.ie
X: https://x.com/westmeathcoco
https://x.com/BelvedereHouse
Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware
Mullingar Business Park
Tel: 044 934 2955
Email: info@kilmurrayprecast.ie
Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware sponsored the €100,000 “Kilmurray’s Homevalue Hardware Mullingar Midlands National Handicap Chase” race at Kilbeggan Racecourse on 12 July 2024.
Irish Government grants to horse racing
2001 €47,110,330
2002 €54,452,651
2003 €51,348,800
2004 €53,531,200
2005 €54,680,000
2006 €56,047,000
2007 €58,539,000
2008 €61,028,800
2009 €54,502,000
2010 €47,411,200
2011 €45,830,000
2012 €45,032,000
2013 €44,016,000
2014 €43,376,000
2015 €54,400,000
2016 €59,200,000
2017 €64,000,000
2018 €64,000,000
2019 €67,200,000
2020 €67,200,000
2021 €76,800,000
2022 €70,400,000
2023 €72,800,000
2024 €76,000,000
2025 €79,280,000
TOTAL: €1,468,184,981
(€1.46 Billion)
Thoroughbred horses slaughtered in Ireland
2023: 1,428
2022: 1,050
2021: 1,105
2020: 1,549
2019: 2,218
2018: 2,526
2017: 2,829
2016: 2,952
SEE ALSO
Six horses KILLED after suffering horrific injuries at Punchestown
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/six-horses-killed-after-suffering-horrific-injuries-at-punchestown/
More horses confirmed dead following races at Irish racecourses
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/08/19/horses-confirmed-dead-following-races-at-irish-racecourses/
Why you should say NO to horse racing – download and distribute the leaflet
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/08/05/new-leaflet-why-you-should-say-no-to-horse-racing
Watch “RTE Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing”
https://youtu.be/ymm0xh3gp7o
Watch the BBC Panorama documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing”
https://youtu.be/VlpQhJFd5Bo