All you need to know about Ireland's only family-owned racecourse

Thurles racecourse is Irish racing's equivalent to St James' Park in Newcastle – the place has a proud history, attracts a loyal group of supporters and, no matter the season, the sun rarely shines there.

Ireland's only family-owned racetrack, Thurles has been cared for by the Molony family for over a century now, and the earliest recorded race at the track was in 1732.

Pierce Molony, who took over the running of the track in 1974 following the death of his father, sadly passed away in 2015, leaving his wife Riona and their four daughters at the helm.

Thurles holds a seven-race card on Saturday, with five races being shown on ITV4Credit: Patrick McCann

Put simply, Thurles is one of a kind. Well known for serving up the nicest hot beef rolls in town, Thurles also provides some of the best ground conditions throughout the winter, meaning many a tasty dish is served up there away from the bright lights of a major spring festival.

Last week’s Cheltenham festival heroes The Conditional, Honeysuckle, Milan Native and Monkfish have won or contested races at Thurles at some stage in their career.

The track also provided the launchpad for dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo, who won his maiden hurdle there for Willie Mullins back in January 2017, while Don Cossack and Sizing John used the track as a springboard for their respective Gold Cup triumphs.

There is no bigger fan of Thurles than the champion trainer who, not only supports the track in terms of runners, but regularly utilises the schooling bumpers staged at the venue where many a big-race winner has been readied.

Sizing John (right) defeated Sub Lieutenant in the Grade 3 Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles in 2017Credit: Caroline Norris

Thurles has a core following and the punters who turn up week in week out are fondly referred to as being a part of the Thursday club.

Those punters care little for the aesthetics and come purely for the horses. Walking through the gates at Thurles is like opening a door to the past whilst getting a glimpse of the future all rolled into the one.

The place may be remarkably outdated, with its creaky stands and its greying walls, but what happens on the track has stood the test of time and is as relevant now as it ever was.

In terms of tactics, there is no secret that it pays to be on the pace there. In an ideal world, jockeys don’t want to have too much ground to make up in the deceivingly testing back straight and it can be a big advantage if they are prominent on the downhill turn for home, where the horses have an opportunity to fill their lungs.

Of the trainers with runners at the track on Saturday, the usual suspects of Mullins, Henry de Bromhead and Gordon Elliott are enjoying a fine run at the track while Mouse Morris has a pretty good strike-rate there this season as well, with three winners from eight runners and a level stakes profit of €7.25.

It won't be a surprise to see champion jockey Paul Townend has the best record at Thurles this season, boasting six winners from 19 rides, but Phillip Enright (five winners), Rachael Blackmore and Robbie Power (four winners each) and Sean O'Keefe (three winners) are others to note.

Read more:

One trainer, one jockey, one horse and one race to watch on Saturday

Thurles delight as Saturday fixture tops ITV4 coverage on poignant day for track

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