The IGB

oh ffs don't encourage him RA

R.A.
Same old story, there's no difference. The IGB have got huge State handouts in the past few years, and what did they do ?. They cut prizemoney.What did they do next ?. They cut prizemoney, again.Did they cut their own wages, and travel expenses? Some hope.
For HRI+Turf Club, substitute IGB+ICC.
Now the IGB realise their mistake and are to increase prizemoney again, not back to where it was, but nonetheless an increase. Its a bit like bolting the stable door when the horse has bolted,a longtime ago. Greyhound owners have left the sport in their droves,and continue to desert it. 2013 will be a tough year, with numbers of owners way down, trainers with reduced strings, and IGB fiddling their fingers.Whats new !
How owners have allowed the IGB to make trap draws behind closed doors is beyond me. Trap draws should be open and transparent and thats only for starters.

been put in against the big lads to fill boxes gant , not the best tactic , i got out of the game simply because it was a uneven playing field , i stopped breeding , btw everytime i bred from my bitch all her pups were sold before they were born , i was one of the lucky ones ..they simply forgot about the little man in the celtic tiger and its come back to haunt them ...i sponcered races and put a good few bob back into the game , i had no runner one night at hx and having been on board of dublin owners and trainers i was stopped from going in and told i had to pay in...that was the final nail in the coffin for me , i decided there and then to get out...

Kavvie........How are the igb at fault for not selling your bitch.......bitches are very hard to sell fullstop at the moment. The place is awash with 29.40/29.50 dogs and nobody can sell them.

Workrider......The country lads wouldn't be bringing a bad one up to the big smoke.Some chancers in that Dublin owners and trainers organisation. But a few good eggs also.
As my auld lad told us......if you have no dog with you, pay in.
They carry on in hrx over the years was cat with lads trying to get in for nothing......they would swarm around a lad with more than 1 dog.

I do not know 1 person who pulled the plug over reduced prizemoney.

I think at this stage Gant all the "hobby" boys and girls have bailed out.
Lo and behold the IGB have announced new tack ratings and the Premier Track is to be rated 30 fast for 525. But they have not done this in a retrospective manner so the new track record stands. The new ratings are from early Jan 2013, but they should be from the start date of this years derby when the new sand was layed down, come on IGB add 30 to the new record at SP it makes proper sense to do so.....

If you are going to constantly moan you should at least know what you are moaning about. Going allowances do not count for track records so it would not matter when they put the plus 30 on as it is the actual clock they do not the estimated clock

Shelbourne should have been +30 for the last few years.

Jaytrump...........The hobby breeder/trainer/owner is alive and well maybe you don't see many in shelbourne on saturday night but he/she is still around.

Very few hobby/owner, breeders, now in the game. Its far too expensive. Breed a bitch now and bring your litter, all your litter to qualifying stage, and your out some pot of money. Now your only chance if your doing this is to get a real good fellow, or bitch, because you wont any longer be able to move on your moderate grader. No market much anymore in England, and very hard to sell anything at home here, be it a pup, a sapling or race dog.So if the hobby breeder can continue to take this 'hit', well good luck to him.
I see now on the Greyhound Data site that the owner/breeder is waking up to the IGB and they are beginning to get very agitated, on that site. With the shutdown for the holiday period and the very serious curtailment of racing during Jan/Feb the 20% increase is now thought to be window dressing.Less racing less expense and more money for the IGB suits to divide out for their expenses. The greyhound game in Ireland needs a radical overhaul, and the present IGB seem not to care. And in the last two months I have been racing in a number of tracks and most of the 'doggy people', I spoke with are very concerned with the way the game is going, its down hill and its going fast. People cant afford the huge expense involved anymore, and are getting out.No incentive to stay in. Only those that have their mouths in the trough will be left, but it will only scraps in that trough.

WR, have a read of the thred ova on Greyhound Data, seems all the doggie people on here are eating outta the IGB trough, (of course bought and payed for by the poor owner

Sorry you'd a bad experience but surely your beef is with the Galway racing manager?

Specific, I cannot understand why any trainer worth his salt, would want to run an A4 grader in a competition 2/3 grades higher.Makes no sense. It doesn't normally happen. Everyone likes and tries to have a bit in hand when going for these competitions, and they are always very competitive.Also anyone with basic knowledge of the doggy game would know that to take your grader from say Curraheen to Galway for a stake, any grade of stake, you wont be winning unless you have a potential open class dog.None of these stakes in any event are 'drawn', they are graded by the race manager for betting purposes, so you will be in 'hot'in a wrong trap.So you probably wont be winning unless you have a machine, that can beat all the odds. In my view you are better off staying at your local track, and if your dog is any good he will get his turn. Limerick was a no go area for 'foreigners' when a recent manager was there , and now I truly lol when I see where he is now, retired but active, for owners.    Everyone with a bit of courage has run-in's with the racing manager's and imho you should give it another go especially when you and your good Mrs., enjoyed the game.Dont give in to the bullies..........

For the first time the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) has admitted it broke spending rules and did not properly tender for a number of different contracts.


By Conor Ryan
Investigative Correspondent
It has also revealed its continuing debt problems mean it needs each of its tracks to perform better and the Government to keep giving it €11m a year if it is to stay in business beyond 2016.

The details were revealed in its accounts for 2011, whose publication had been delayed because of issues raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).

In the financial statements the company chairman, Phil Meaney, and the C&AG, Seamus McCarthy, reported on its failures to follow the rules.

The Irish Examiner previously revealed how a €5m shortfall had emerged because of a series of ill-fated informal arrangements set up with private parties involved in the development of its new Limerick stadium.

The IGB had originally denied it broke the rules. However, in the accounts Mr Meaney accepted there had been failures.

“The audit revealed a number of instances where goods and services had not been tendered for,” he said.

Mr McCarthy said there had been non-compliance with procurement guidelines and control weaknesses.

The Public Accounts Committee has demanded reports from the Department of Agriculture and the IGB on these matters.

Problems associated with the Limerick development have been a key factor in the financial difficulties.

In 2011 its debt burden rose by €1.5m to €22.7m, edging closer to its €25m limit set by AIB and the Department.

The IGB has now revealed all of this loan is on an interest-only basis until December 2016.

The company had to include a note to explain how it could continue to trade once the principal of the loans had to be paid off.

Its plan assumes that operating surpluses would increase each year because the Government would continue to supply an €11m grant annually and turnover from its racing facilities would rise.

Turnover fell in 2011 and it is understood to have slipped further in 2012.

Much of the firm’s debt was built up because its decision to build a stadium and headquarters in Limerick, which opened in 2010.

This project was underpinned by a doomed gentleman’s agreement and its cost was expected to be offset with €10.8m generated from the sale of three key sites around the city.

The 2011 accounts show one of the properties was sold for €1.5m (a €934,000 loss) and the remaining two properties have been written down in value to €1.5m.

Despite the precarious position facing the company, in 2011 there was a 35% increase in the expenses claimed by members of its board, rising to €71,273 for its seven directors.

Previously the IGB has refused to release the expenses details for its chairman, Mr Meaney, claiming it would affect his commercial interest. This Freedom of Information case is before the Information Commissioner.

Jaytrump , They killed the game for the little man , lots of us who once loved this great sport were left high and dry , Stadium managers also have a lot to answer for , only interested in the top trainers ..Always catering to their every whim , yet the mainstay of the game , the guy with the couple of dogs , ignored , been told , sorry cant fit your dog in this week etc etc , dogs running out of time , yet week after week the same trainers having multiple runners , a part of me says it serves them right , yet the greyhound lover in me feels for the death of this great sport...

i'm glad to hear that Gant , as i said a wonderful sport , just abused by those who should have known better ...I'm lost to it and shall never return ...

im lost to it also,track at least.the small man was only filling boxes

You know gant is well connected anybody says anything against his cronies the political elite and he out in force defending them. Listen to us the little men gant the working class heroes.

gant we mostly knew our dogs level but getting put in with dogs from big yards you know uv no chance with.you know what im talking about.!!

Well you see Gant you don't know it all, as you should be aware that the backgrader will catch you in these A1's, A2's, and A3's. The grading system is utter rubbish, lets say you win an A5 and do A1 time its good luck for a while now, you wont be winning unless you have the exceptional one.

Workriders post at 09.08 is right on the money, and I agree with kavvie also, as he knows what he is talking about.

Well said rocket, as Gant is not one of the 'stonethrowers', and is a true supporter of the inept board.

What is it you activists call he rest of us who are less vocal(and also unhappy with the bord).....oh yea groupies