Thurles racecourse has got a reprieve after it was revealed on Thursday that Horse Racing Ireland will take over operational responsibility of the track until next year.
Racing was left stunned at the start of this month with a shock announcement by the Molony family who own the track that it was closing with immediate effect. Four weeks later and confirmation has come that Thurles will run its 11 scheduled fixtures through to March of next year.
Following a meeting between HRI and the Molony family it was announced that Thurles Race Company will facilitate racing to continue over the winter. Racing’s ruling body will assume “operational responsibility” for the track.
“Today’s agreement, made possible in conjunction with the Association of Irish Racecourses, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, and the support of the wider industry, will see Thurles Racecourse fulfil its 11 fixtures through to March 2026, resuming as scheduled on Thursday, October 9.
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“Keeping Thurles operational until March of next year affords all interested parties time to consider a longer-term plan for the racecourse,” outlined a joint statement issued by HRI.
If it smacks to some of kicking the can down the road, it will still come as a huge relief to many in Irish racing who have pointed out the central role Thurles has traditionally played in providing a decent racing surface for National Hunt racing through the depths of winter.
Champion trainer Willie Mullins was among those who described the closure as a “huge blow”. This week he also said it would be a “travesty” if Thurles is lost.
The country’s sole privately-owned track was the first Irish racecourse to announce closure since 2008. Thurles boss Riona Molony put the decision down to a variety of factors but admitted one issue was “ever-increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business”.
That led to criticism of both HRI and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) after it emerged that Thurles needs a multimillion euro investment to comply with new licensing requirements. Both bodies issued minimum requirements in June for all racecourses, including provision for watering systems.
Thurles doesn’t have a watering system and lost three meetings at the end of last year due to unseasonably quick ground conditions.
Prioritisation of a system to ensure ground consistency was also urged by the IHRB in the regulatory body’s investigation following the death of jockey Michael O’Sullivan due to injuries sustained in a fall at Thurles in February. A watering system could cost at least €300,000.
There has also been comment on the need for major investment in other redevelopments at the track. Under HRI capital development fund rules, the Molony family would have to pay 60 per cent of any costs.
Industry insiders were tight-lipped on Thursday about any long-term outlook for the track after next March. Ground conditions will still have to be passed fit by the IHRB if any meeting is to go ahead and Thurles still doesn’t have an up-to-date watering system.
Earlier this month, the IHRB said it supports continuous improvements in facilities but isn’t imposing immediate or inflexible obligations.
IHRB chief executive Darragh O’Loughlin said: “Our aim is to ensure all racecourses operate to high standards with the safety and wellbeing of participants a priority. The racecourse manual is intended to support racecourses in that aim over time – not to impose sudden demands or create barriers.”
With HRI committed to the redevelopment of Tipperary racecourse, one of four tracks it administers, privately some appear to be pinning their faith in an investor buying Thurles and redeveloping it as a racecourse on a commercial basis.
The first of the 11 fixtures Thurles is now set to run is on October 9th. Two meetings scheduled for Thurles in October of last year had to be cancelled due to a lack of rain.
