Thurles saved for now - but will HRI be able to justify the cost of a long-term reprieve?

Last week's news of a reprieve for Thurles was greeted with widespread relief throughout the Irish industry.

The rescue of the track's 2025-26 schedule has been enabled by the co-operation of the Molony family, historic owners of the track, and the support of Horse Racing Ireland. Both parties will have been aware of the reaction to the proposed closure, one that combined goodwill with regret and an insistence on the track's strategic importance to Irish jump racing.

Early last month, when writing about the unilateral announcement by the track owners, I anticipated a stay of execution more in hope than confidence. I adopted a mildly upbeat tone, partly because I reckoned too much was at stake for HRI to concede defeat without a fight, and also because I wanted to do my bit to counter a prevailing air of pessimism by speculating on a potential revival.