International Racing Bureau

Name

International Racing Bureau

Legal name

International Racing Bureau Ltd.

Website

https://irbracing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Racing Bureau is a UK-based consultancy serving the international thoroughbred racing industry through four service lines: Trainers Services, Racecourse Services, Owners Services, and Media Services, delivered from Newmarket with overseas agents in 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Consultancy & Racing Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Racing Associations, Governance & Integrity Services (MPAEADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Racecourse Hospitality, Sponsorship & On-Track Experiences (MPAEADAM), Training, Stables & Equine Services (MPAEADAI)

Keywords

• International racing services
• Thoroughbred racing promotion
• Racecourse consultancy
• Horse racing media
• Trainer race entry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newmarket

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Racing Bureau provides consultancy, promotional, and operational services to the international thoroughbred racing industry. It assists racing authorities, racecourses, trainers, owners, and media organizations with cross-border race planning, entries, declarations, hospitality, and editorial coverage through its Newmarket headquarters and a global network of overseas agents.

Product overview

International Racing Bureau provides a suite of services for the international thoroughbred racing industry. The core offerings include Trainers Services (helping trainers run horses abroad), Owners Services (managing owner racing interests globally), Racecourse Services (assisting racecourses with international promotion and execution), and Media Services (editorial news services for racing publications). These are supported by information resources including racing links directories, French race conditions, and ground reports for European racecourses. The company operates as a consultancy rather than a software platform, with services delivered through their Newmarket office and overseas agents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trainers Services Service assisting trainers wishing to run horses abroad by finding suitable races, managing entries, providing ground and weather reports, handling forfeits, declarations and cancellations, and arranging local jockeys.
• Owners Services Bespoke confidential service for horse owners and breeders providing worldwide monitoring of runners, detailed reports and results, hospitality arrangements at international racecourses, and management of owners' racing interests.
• Racecourse Services Service assisting racing authorities and racecourses with promotion, planning and execution of international racing, including advice on race conditions, quarantine protocols, promotional materials, mailing lists, horse lists, editorial assistance, and on-site assistance for overseas horses and connections.
• Media Services Editorial department offering tailor-made racing news service to publications including press releases, biographical information on personalities (human and equine), race previews and reports, results and in-running comments, pedigree information, and full race cards.
• Racing Links Directory Comprehensive directory of links to racing authorities, organisations, media publications, auctioneers, racecourses, and racing syndicates worldwide.

Named customers32 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Jockey Club (UK): Largest commercial group of UK racecourses. Functions both as a major IRB client and a vertically integrated operator that could in-house functions IRB currently performs externally.
• PA Media (Press Association): UK national news agency covering sport including horse racing. Comparable on IRB's Media Services side as a supplier of editorial copy, previews, and results to racing publications and broadcasters.
• Sportradar: Global sports data and content company with deep horse-racing data distribution. Overlaps with IRB's information-resource and media-services roles at a much larger, technology-driven scale.
• Sky Sports Racing: Dedicated UK horse racing TV channel (formerly At The Races). Comparable as a media-services counterpart that consumes and disseminates racing content; also a listed IRB client, illustrating the buyer/supplier dynamic.
• British Horseracing Authority (BHA): Governing and regulatory body for British horse racing. Operates in adjacent territory to IRB's Racecourse Services and integrity-adjacent work, with overlapping client relationships.

Direct peers

• Racecourse Media Group (RMG): Manages media rights and content distribution on behalf of UK racecourses. Directly comparable as a service organisation serving the same racecourse client base as IRB's Racecourse Services division.
• Racing Post: UK's leading horse racing daily and digital platform. Historically launched with IRB involvement in 1986; today a media peer competing for the same editorial and racing-information mandate IRB serves for racing publications.
• Weatherbys: Long-established UK firm providing bloodstock registration, racing administration, and a suite of support services to the thoroughbred racing industry. Closest functional peer to IRB's racecourse, owner, and trainer-facing services, operating from a similar Newmarket-adjacent knowledge base.

Regional players

• The Hong Kong Jockey Club: Sole operator of horse racing in Hong Kong and a major IRB client. Comparable as a large regional racing authority with similar cross-border promotion and race-meeting execution needs.

Others

• Darley: Global thoroughbred breeding and racing operation (Godolphin). Listed as an IRB client; included as an adjacent owner/breeder peer reflecting the customer-side of IRB's Owners and Breeders Services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intracingbureau
• Facebookfacebook.com/International-Racing-Bureau-135514763323637
• Instagraminstagram.com/international_racing_bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Racing Bureau