Betting pattern monitoring in Irish horse racing ceases as IHRB and BHA discontinue partnership
In early 2020, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) chose the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to provide additional support in monitoring betting trends and related intelligence, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort between the two organizations [1]. This partnership also extended to an equine anti-doping and medication control initiative announced in 2024, which involved joint out-of-competition testing across both jurisdictions.
However, as of August 2025, this joint collaboration has officially ended, and the contract will not be renewed. The IHRB is now independently reassessing its future needs for investigative support and information management [1].
The IHRB, funded by the state through Horse Racing Ireland, has an obligation to audit its spending. As such, the decision not to renew the contract was made with a focus on ensuring value for money in all expenditure [2].
During this review period, the IHRB's statutory functions continue to be delivered in full. The organization is reviewing future requirements for investigative support, information management, and ensuring compliance with legal obligations, operational needs, and data protection responsibilities [3].
It's important to note that the IHRB's ability to conduct investigations is not impacted during this review period. Currently, the IHRB is investigating the circumstances surrounding the unseat of Redwood Queen trained by Charles Byrnes at Wexford on May 28, 2021 [4].
The BHA continues to focus on other initiatives, such as extensive welfare campaigns and horse welfare strategies within British racing, which are separate from the betting monitoring activities previously done for the IHRB [5].
Despite the end of the formal agreement for betting trend monitoring, the IHRB continues to cooperate with the BHA and share relevant information during this period. The collaboration in other areas of intelligence remains ongoing [6].
[1] Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) Press Release, August 2025. [2] IHRB Annual Report 2024. [3] IHRB Annual Report 2025. [4] IHRB Investigation Update, June 2022. [5] BHA Annual Report 2025. [6] IHRB and BHA Joint Statement, August 2025.
The partnership between the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in horse racing and sports, including betting trend monitoring and equine anti-doping initiatives, concluded in August 2025. However, the IHRB continues to collaborate with the BHA in other areas of intelligence, such as sharing relevant information.
