Thousands of people from throughout the country are expected in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, on Monday evening for its first race meeting of the season.
Most will be unaware of the huge community effort which has gone into developing the racecourse, which is owned and run by a 50-strong committee of locals.
During the last eight years the committee has spent more than £700,000 on the course, which is about two miles from the town.
According to Paddy Dunican, the course manager, the committee intends to spend a further £500,000 on developing the facilities.
The committee, with the aid of grants from the Irish Horse Board and an input from FAS, has continually upgraded the facilities for the public, owners, trainers and jockeys.
Sections of the track have been drained and widened. Car-parking has been upgraded and the famous "dip" on the course has been altered to create a more gradual slope, making it safer for both jockeys and horses.
"We are the only racecourse in the midlands and we get huge support from the people in the area. For instance, for our first meeting we raised sponsorship from local business people to the tune of £56,000," he said.
"I don't know if it is unique, but one of the races on Monday is being sponsored by Westmeath County Council. I wonder if that is a first for a local authority in Ireland?" he asked.
"I don't want to boast but we returned the highest figures for any one-day meeting course in Ireland, because 42,000 people attended our six meetings last year."
This represented a 23 per cent increase on the previous year. The betting turnover at the track increased by 20 per cent to more than £2.2 million.
Mr Dunican, who was nominated National Hunt Manager of the Year, said one of the reasons the course is so well supported is that it only stages National Hunt races.
"This is the racing of the ordinary Irish people, and we have a lot of people involved in horses in the area who give us their support," he said.
The committee is quite confident that if it were to get more meetings than the six it already hosts it would be given the support. It would also like permission to stage a two- or three-day meeting.