Mr. Michael Grassick:

Reference was made to trainers' licences. In 2007 we had a grand total of 460 trainers but we are down to 380 now. In the meantime we have had renewals and new trainers coming in, approximately 25 per year. We are losing between 45 and 50 trainers per annum according to those figures.

A two-week course is run at RACE for new applicants for trainers' licences. At the end of the two week course, there is no examination as such. A person is granted a licence from The Turf Club. All a trainer's business and transactions are with HRI.

HRI complains to us that many of the applicants are not being professional. Therefore, there is a lack of communication between HRI and the Turf Club on how they operate. It should go to HRI because it works with trainers on a day to day basis.