Irish fixture list for 2025 legislates for long-awaited Tipperary conversion to all-weather facility

Five years after being nominated as the destination of choice for Ireland's second all-weather facility, Tipperary may be on the verge of having the sod turned on the project next year with a view to opening up in 2026.

Horse Racing Ireland published its 2025 fixture list on Friday, with few changes of note apart from the provision for all of Tipperary's 11 scheduled meetings to be reallocated should the redevelopment, which is estimated to cost around €18 million, get under way.

The total number of fixtures is to remain the same as this year at 325, four of which are floating slots still to be allocated when demand dictates.

If the Tipperary revamp proceeds, Dundalk will be drafted in to take two of its Flat fixtures, with Fairyhouse, Gowran Park and Cork taking one apiece, while the Concorde Stakes from the mixed card on October 5 will go to the Curragh, which will be pushed back a day that weekend from its Saturday slot.

The two other Flat races on that card will be found temporary new homes, while the three Graded jump races will now be held Gowran Park, which will host a two-day meeting on the Friday and Saturday of that weekend.

Listowel, Punchestown, Wexford, Limerick and Galway will take Tipperary's other jump meetings.

In December 2019, it was announced that Tipperary had been selected as the venue to emulate Dundalk's 2007 transition to an all-weather track, although it will continue to have a turf track for jump racing and schooling. A lack of funding and planning objections have delayed work on the new facility, which was initially slated to open around now had construction begun as planned last year.

However, following a protracted appeals process, after 18 months An Bord Pleanala (Ireland's national independent planning body) granted permission to proceed in January.

Future phases of the redevelopment include ambitions to convert Tipperary into start-up training facility with on-site barns.

Jonathan Mullin, HRI's director of racing, said: "The number of horses in training in Ireland this year remain at similar levels to 2023 and therefore it was felt prudent not to increase the number of fixtures for 2025. The fixture list process for 2025 involved consultation with a wide variety of industry stakeholders and we acknowledge their strong engagement throughout. In particular, given the need to produce a 'shadow' 2025 fixture list to accommodate the planned development of an all-weather track at Tipperary, we thank the racecourses for their considerable contributions."

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