ON Thursday what might be called the ‘winter season’ gets underway at Thurles, in the heart of Tipperary. The card for the day, which features the Munster Beginners Chase, consists of four hurdle races, two chases and the bumper. The track is in great shape, having been rested since the last meeting back in March.

The team at Thurles is keen to get under way, led by Kate Molony. The course is unique among Irish racecourses, being the only one that is family-owned. It has been run by the Molony family for many generations, and most racegoers today will remember with huge fondness Kate’s late father Pierce who died in January 2015.

Girl power is central now to the running of the track and Kate’s sterling efforts are helped to various degrees by the input of her mum Riona and sisters Patricia, Helen and Ann Marie, as well as Kate’s husband Robbie and all the team. This week Kate told me that BoyleSports are coming on board and providing the on-course shop. In all other ways it is a case of business as usual.

“You’re keeping the best until last,” Kate quipped when I spoke to her this week. She was of course referring to the fact that Thursday will bring my odyssey to an end, and I will have visited all 26 Irish racecourses in 2017 for at least one day’s racing.

While most racecourses will measure their season by the calendar year, Thurles fits its racing in with the National Hunt season, and in some ways this is the start of their year. It has always been a favourite with Irish racegoers, most especially National Hunt enthusiasts, and it has a deserved reputation for holding racing when many another track might succumb. The course has excellent free draining soil that lends itself to the particular rigours of winter racing.

The last National Hunt season at Thurles was one of the best ever in terms of quality horses running and winning at the track. After he landed the Kinloch Brae Chase, Sizing John ran three more times and won the Irish Gold Cup, Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Punchestown Gold Cup. Another Cheltenham winner in March who took in a victory at Thurles on his way to Festival glory was Tully East.

Great Field went on from Thurles to land the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Punchestown, while another to land a Grade 1 subsequent to winning at Thurles was the Willie Mullins-trained mare Augusta Kate. Punchestown Festival winners Open Eagle and Don’t Touch It, Grade 3 Cork winner Listen Dear, Galway Festival winner Riven Light, Grade 3 winner Shattered Love, Alpha Des Obeaux and Foxrock are others you can add to that distinguished list from just last season!

What future stars will turn out on Thursday or at any of the remaining 2017 fixtures? There is only one way to find out, and that is to be there. All the best owners, trainers and jockeys value Thurles. Last season Gigginstown House Stud had seven winners, with Susannah Ricci and JP McManus welcoming five winners each.

Willie Mullins was leading trainer with 14 wins from 31 runs (a 45% strike rate), followed by Gordon Elliott (nine wins) and Jessica Harrington with four. Ruby Walsh won on exactly half of his rides, notching up 13 wins.

The remaining 2017 fixtures at Thurles will be held on Thursday, October 28th (He’llberemembered Hurdle), Thursday, November 9th (Holycross Mares Chase), Thursday, November 23rd (Boomerang Animal Bedding Chase, a listed race), Thursday, November 30th (Killinan Beginners Chase) and finally on Sunday, December 17th when the Listed Horse & Jockey Mares Chase will take centre stage.