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 Great Britain existence, the Kiplingcotes Derby was first run in 1519. The Carlisle Bells, reputedly the oldest sporting trophy in the world, were first competed for in the 16th century, in a race that still bears their name. One of the bells is inscribed "The sweftes horse thes bel tak" ("The swiftest horse takes this bell"). Racing was established at Chester, the oldest surviving racecourse in England, by 1540. In the 1580s Queen Elizabeth I is recorded as attending races on Salisbury Plain.. Leith Races were established by 1591, and at Doncaster by 1595. During the reign of Elizabeth, interest in horse