Thurles Racecourse is a horse racing venue in the town of Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland which stages National Hunt racing. Racing has taken place at Thurles since 1732 when a three-day festival took place at the venue.
The course is located 1.5 km west of the town centre. The course is an oval right handed track of one and a quarter miles with 6 flights of hurdles and 7 steeplechase fences in each circuit with a steep uphill finish.[1]
It has been owned by the Molony family for over a hundred years. The current manager is Kate Molony, who in 2015 took over from her father Pierce, who took over from his father in 1974.[2]
On February 16 2025, Irish jockey Michael O'Sullivan died following a fall at Thurles Racecourse earlier that month. The incident occurred during a race.[3]
Notable races
edit| Month | DOW | Race Name | Type | Grade | Distance | Age/Sex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Sunday | Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase | Chase | Grade 2 | 2m 4½f | 6yo + |
| January | Sunday | Coolmore N. H. Sires Capri Mares Novice Chase | Chase | Grade 2 | 2m 4½f | 5yo + m |
| February | Thursday | Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle | Hurdle | Grade 2 | 2m 4f | 5yo + |
| March | Saturday | Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase | Chase | Grade 3 | 2m 2f | 5yo + |
| November | Thursday | John Meagher Memorial Chase | Chase | Listed | 2m 6f | 5yo + |
References
edit- ^ "Course Profile". Go Racing. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ McClean, Donn (January 2022). "A Family Affair". Racing TV Club Magazine. No. 13. Racing TV.
- ^ "Michael O'Sullivan: Irish jockey dies after Thurles fall". BBC Sport. 16 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
External links
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