Horse racing in Ireland industry go from strength to strength. The Irish horse racing industry is today worth €1 billion per annum, employs over 14,000 people, and is a major player on the international scene. In Ireland, the Flat racing season runs from mid-March to mid-November, and comprises races started from stalls, run over 5 to 20 furlongs. These races are held at 23 racecourses, of which 3 run only Flat. National Hunt racing, or Jump racing, is run year-round in Ireland, but the main season takes place from November until the end of April, coinciding with the lull of the flat racing season.
Horse racing in Scotland records of King James IV's personal expenditure. There are only four references to horse racing, all in 1503-4, including a payment made in 1504 to a jockey, ‘the boy that ran the King’s horse’ at Leith. Relative to James' other sporting interests such as falconry and golf this is very few. A well-known annual race, with a bell for a prize, was instituted at Haddington in 1552, but reference to this in royal records is restricted to a single entry. It is not until the reign of James VI that racing truly emerges. Races were held at Peebles and Dumfries