Location | Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland |
---|---|
Coordinates | 52°40′44″N 7°48′50″W |
Owned by | The Molony Family [1] |
Date opened | 1732 |
Screened on | Racing TV [2] |
Course type | National Hunt |
Notable races | Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase Coolmore N. H. Sires Capri Mares Novice Chase Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle |
Attendance | 17,273 (2023) [3] |
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. [4]
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. [5]
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. [6]
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 + |