IHRB insists guidelines don't impose obligations on racecourses following criticism from leading trainers after Thurles closure

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) has insisted its recently published racecourse guidelines do not impose "immediate or inflexible obligations" and said it had been working constructively with Thurles following suggestions that the requirements may have played a role in the track's bombshell decision to close.

In a statement announcing the decision on Friday, Riona Molony, who along with her late husband Pierce and the rest of her family had run Thurles for 50 years, mentioned that “ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business [have] been a major factor”.

• 'It's a treasure in racing' - Sir Anthony McCoy, Ruby Walsh and leading politicians express dismay at Thurles closure 

Some reports have suggested the industry demands referenced are those set out in the Racecourse Manual, a joint-venture between the IHRB and Horse Racing Ireland that was published in June.