'It’s a huge shock and a big blow' - Thurles racecourse to close with immediate effect

Ted Walsh has led the chorus of disbelief in Ireland after the Molony family shocked the racing world on Friday morning with the news that Thurles racecourse is to close with immediate effect.

Thurles was Ireland’s only privately owned racecourse and the venue at which both AP McCoy and Rachael Blackmore rode their first winners. 

Riona Molony, whose family have owned the Tipperary venue since the early 1900s, revealed the shock decision to cease racing functions at the track – a staple of the jumps scene in particular – on Friday morning, citing the cost of doing business as one of the factors at play. Thurles is licensed to race until the end of the year and has been allotted 11 fixtures for the 2025-26 season, but it won't utilise those slots. 

• Comment: an enduring, comforting, constant, no-frills staple - Thurles closure is a catastrophe for Irish jump racing 

It is the first racecourse in Ireland to close since Tralee in 2008. Because of its capacity to race through the winter and provide regular schooling, Thurles has been a cornerstone of the jumps scene in Ireland. 

Walsh, who both rode and trained many winners at the County Tipperary venue, was in a state of shock upon hearing the news and could not fathom how the closure had been allowed to happen. 

Appreciate It on his way to winning a Grade 2 at Thurles in JanuaryCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Walsh told the Racing Post: ‘’It’s a huge shock. This is as big a shock as when the Phoenix Park and Baldoyle closed. I wasn’t surprised when Tuam and Mullingar closed, but I was when I heard this news. It’s a big blow. 

"The one thing I'll say is that there's something wrong when millions are pumped into other tracks, and I believe a big remake of Tipperary is coming too, and a lovely, little track like Thurles is allowed to close its doors. It doesn’t make sense to me and it’s not right. 

"This was a track where Glencaraig Lady and Captain Christy had their preps for Cheltenham. So many top horses ran there. There was always lovely ground at Thurles. A grand, little track and it’s such a shame to see it go."

Many high-class horses have frequented the venue and, sadly, it was also the track where Michael O'Sullivan this year suffered the fall that cost him his life. A subsequent review by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board found no fault on Thurles's behalf, although it did make various recommendations, including the provision of a watering system, which the track never had.  

The first recorded race meeting took place there in 1732. Riona Molony’s late husband Pierce took over from his father Dr Paddy Molony in 1974, and together with their family they have maintained the business for the last 50 years. 

Thurles had recently played a central role in agitating for a better media rights deal when forming the United Irish Racecourses (UIR) group with four other tracks, holding separate talks with Arena Racecourse Company (Arc) that would have seen those tracks move to Sky Sports from Racing TV. 

At the 11th hour in June 2023, the UIR venues came back onside and fell in with the other 21 Irish tracks, signing a deal with the outgoing rights holders Racecourse Media Group and SIS thought to be worth €47 million a year to Irish racing. 

Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore on their way to victory at Thurles in December 2018Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

However, the challenges of running a racecourse privately persisted, with the dry winter last year wreaking particular havoc on Thurles. Three meetings had to be cancelled at the end of last year due to a lack of rainfall, and the same issue presented challenges for its regular schooling sessions, which drew big numbers but were also impacted by the unusual dry spells last winter. 

That is likely to have had an impact on revenue and the loss of the track, which reduces the number of Irish venues to 25, will also be a massive blow to those who relied on it for galloping horses. 

Revealing the news, Molony said: “It has been an honour and a privilege for our family to have run Thurles racecourse, and I am officially announcing our retirement today. We are very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing and we are most grateful to our extended racecourse family, our dedicated staff, generous sponsors, loyal patrons and the wider racing community for all your support.

"Horseracing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years. My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators.

“Since my beloved husband Pierce passed away in 2015, with the help of our four daughters Patricia, Helen, Ann Marie and Kate and our wonderful staff, we’ve managed to keep the show on the road and I know he would be very proud of us for that. The girls all have their own families, careers and lives to live. Ever-increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business has also been a major factor.”

She added: “We’re going to enjoy this time together and relax now the decision is made and the news is out before we consider our options.”

Horse Racing Ireland issued a statement at lunchtime on Friday admitting "surprise" at the closure. It is believed the governing body was not consulted on the issue and its chief executive Suzanne Eade said she will now seek a meeting with the Molonys.

“Today’s news was a surprise to everyone in the industry," Eade's statement said. “I am sure this announcement was a hugely difficult one for Riona Molony and her daughters Patricia, Helen, Ann Marie and Kate, and I respect their decision to take a step back from running racing at Thurles.

"Riona’s husband Pierce contributed significantly to the Irish racing industry for many years and the Molony family, led by Riona, certainly stepped up following his untimely passing.

“I will be seeking a meeting with the Molony family in the near future to discuss their position.”

Former champion jockey Davy Russell hopes the fixtures from Thurles won’t be heading north. 

He said: "Thurles is the cornerstone of jump racing in Ireland. It’s part of who we are and my car used to drive itself there every Thursday through the winter. I didn’t need to steer it at all. It just knew where to go.

“It made a massive difference to the people down south, you’ve no idea. If these fixtures are being moved somewhere else they need to stay down south. That's a must. We can’t have these fixtures moving up to Fairyhouse and Leopardstown or wherever, they need to stay south. It’s so important to all the southern people.

"All is not lost, though. The course hasn't been sold yet and that’s worth bearing in mind.”

Many of jump racing's top horses have graced the Tipperary venue, and it has also been the place where a variety of the sport's top human names have made a breakthrough. A young Anthony McCoy rode the first of his 4,358 winners there on March 26, 1992 when he won on Legal Steps for Jim Bolger, a distinction Rachael Blackmore emulated on February 10, 2011 when she won on Stowaway Pearl for Shark Hanlon before going on to take the sport by storm.

McCoy won a 1m4f maiden on Legal Steps and Flat racing returned to Thurles in 2018 after a long hiatus. Now, it follows in the footsteps of Tralee, Phoenix Park — which was sold for development in 1990 — Mullingar (1967), Baldoyle (1972) and Tuam (1973) as a lost relic of Irish racing.

Five jumps stars to have raced at Thurles

Thurles, Ireland’s only privately owned racecourse, has announced its immediate closure, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable chapter of Irish racing history. Racing at the venue dates back to 1732, and the County Tipperary track has played host to countless stars through the centuries. Here are five of the finest . . .

Don Cossack

Don Cossack was one of Gigginstown House Stud’s most celebrated chasers and made two appearances at Thurles, winning both. The most memorable came in the 2015 Kinloch Brae Chase, when he stormed clear to win by an astonishing 44 lengths after the odds-on favourite Champagne Fever crashed out at the last. 

Don Cossack returned a year later to defend his crown in the same race, just two months before going on to Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham.

Don Cossack jumping the last fence to win the 2016 Kinloch Brae ChaseCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

When Don Cossack first arrived at Thurles, he was already a dual Grade 1 winner. By the time he left, he had become a five-time top-level scorer and cemented his status as one of the best horses to ever run at the course.

Honeysuckle

Another great, Honeysuckle, made her third career start at Thurles and announced herself as a serious prospect. She went on to win 17 of her 19 races, including two Champion Hurdles and four Irish Champion Hurdles. She was ridden throughout her career by Rachael Blackmore, and Thurles was the site of Blackmore’s very first winner, on Stowaway Pearl for trainer Shark Hanlon.

Honeysuckle was not the only superstar mare to grace the track. Annie Power won her maiden hurdle at Thurles and went on to become a Champion Hurdle, Mares' Hurdle and Irish Champion Hurdle winner.

Sizing John

Sizing John added his name to the Kinloch Brae roll of honour in 2017, the only year the race was run as a Grade 3.  That was his sole appearance at Thurles but proved a springboard to greatness. He followed up that win with victories in the Irish Gold Cup, Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Punchestown Gold Cup.

Sizing John and Robbie Power en route to landing the Kinloch Brae ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

War Of Attrition

War Of Attrition, the 2006 Gold Cup hero, was another Thurles regular. He ran three times at the track and was beaten on his debut in a maiden hurdle. But when he returned after finishing second in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Cheltenham, it was a different story. He won on his debut over fences at the track and when he lined up for his final run at the course four years later, he had become a three-time Grade 1 winner, including Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups.

Allaho

Allaho was a Thurles specialist and arguably the course’s most prolific recent star. Owned by Cheveley Park Stud and trained by Willie Mullins, he won all three of his starts at the track, each coming in the Kinloch Brae. Those victories were interspersed with dominant back-to-back Ryanair Chase triumphs and a breathtaking display in the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup, in which he achieved a career-high Racing Post Rating of 180. His final visit to Thurles in 2024 brought yet another Kinloch Brae win, and proved to be the last race of his glittering career.

Thurles in numbers

• Top jockey: Ruby Walsh - 129 wins
• Top trainer: Willie Mullins - 253 wins
• Best course RPR: Cooldine - 160
• Top owner: Gigginstown House Stud - 101 wins

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