Claiming Process Streamlined By Horse Racing Ireland

A streamlining of the claiming process for Irish claiming races, to speed up post-race procedures, has been instituted by Horse Racing Ireland and the new regulations will go into effect on Nov. 2. Pre-authorisation on the day of the race will be required for all potential claimants. The claimant's contact details, the name of the designated trainer for the horse they wish to claim, the name of the person responsible for collecting and transporting the claimed horse and the value of the horse they wish to claim should be submitted to Horse Racing Ireland up to one hour before the scheduled race time. Pre-authorisation can be done in two ways: by completing the online pre-authorisation form or by telephoning the client accounts department of HRI. For more information on the new procedures, please visit the Horse Racing Ireland website.

Jason Morris, HRI's Director of Racing, said, “The popularity of claiming races continues to grow as a medium for purchasing horses and we have seen a huge increase in the volume of activity, with upwards of 30 claims being submitted in races on occasions. This can lead to considerable delays in the post-race processing and the announcement of the successful claims.

“The changes to the regulations announced today will streamline the process for everyone involved and will also ensure the welfare of claimed horses as they transfer between trainers. The time between the race being run and the announcement of successful claims will be reduced, removing any ambiguity of who is responsible for the welfare of the horse in the period after the race.

“It is important to note that pre-authorisation must be sought each time a person intends to make a claim and that those wishing to proceed with their claim must contact the client accounts department of HRI after the race is run. No claim will be accepted after the race without pre-authorisation.”