11. Short Debate: Horse-racing: An economic and sporting asset for Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:24 pm on 16 November 2022.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 6:24, 16 November 2022

Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you, Llyr, and everyone else, actually, who's contributed to this afternoon's short debate. There's no doubt at all that the horse-racing industry contributes significantly to the Welsh economy and provides employment across many different areas, from stable help to hospitality. And as Llyr pointed out at the beginning of his contribution, it's the sport with the third highest rate of spectator attendance after football and rugby, which surprised me, I have to say. An estimated 155,000 individual visits across the three racecourses in 2019, and high-profile events such as the Welsh Grand National in Chepstow will be held this year on 27 December, and I'm sure many of us will look forward to that. It's amongst the jewels in the crown of sporting activities in Wales, and of course it's going to be covered live on tv.

As everybody else seems to have given a few anecdotes about their visits to racecourses and their connections with racing, I suppose I ought to give mine as well. Can I say I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Chepstow earlier in the year? They did offer me an invitation to go to the other two racecourses while I was there, and I'm happy to do that at some point. I had the opportunity while I was there to present the winners with prizes, to choose the best turned-out horse that came out from the stables. I even did a live tv interview with Sky Sports, who were there filming the races at the time, and I just— . Sorry, Darren. Of course.