JOCKEYS expressed their concerns to the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board [IHRB] in May over ground conditions and watering systems at Thurles Racecourse but they did not threaten to boycott the track or refuse to ride there, says Andrew Coonan of the Irish Jockeys Association [IJA].

A week has passed since the Molony family shocked the racing world by revealing they were closing Thurles with immediate effect. As well as citing personal/family reasons for their decision, the Molonys mentioned “ever increasing industry demands” as being a “major factor”.

The statement made no reference to the tragic accident at the racecourse in February which claimed the life of jockey Michael O’Sullivan though it is known to have deeply affected the Molony family as well as many other industry participants.

On March 25th the IHRB published a summary report of their investigation into the incident which apportioned no blame for the accident but it included a recommendation that priority be given to the installation of a watering system at Thurles “to ensure ground consistency.”

Watering system

The IHRB held a series of follow-up meetings with stakeholders, including the IJA, who also wanted to see a watering system installed as soon as possible.

However, Andrew Coonan says the riders were satisfied to continue riding there this season even if the existing ‘tanker’ watering system remained in operation.

“No rider ever said to me ‘I am not riding at Thurles’ or that they planned to boycott the track,” Coonan said. “We met with the IHRB in May, at their invitation. The discussion arose out of the report the IHRB prepared following Michael’s accident. We were invited in to comment and to see if we had any suggestions.

“For us, the essential part of that report was the recommendation that a sustainable watering system be installed, in line with best practice.

“As we understood it, Thurles wanted the same thing so, by the end of that meeting, we had an agreement that this was going to happen. But it was not envisaged that if the watering system was not in place by the autumn then racing would not go ahead.

“On the contrary, we were satisfied that racing would go ahead in autumn on the old style watering system, tankers, et cetera, and that the best efforts would be made to provide suitable conditions, with a view to a more sustainable system being put in place in the longer term.

“Thereafter we were as surprised as anyone else to hear that the racecourse had closed.”

Racecourse Manual

In June the IHRB and Horse Racing Ireland published a Racecourse Manual which reiterated the “key requirement” of having a modern watering system.

But the IHRB insists that this did not mean that Thurles would not continue to be licensed.

In a statement issued last weekend the IHRB said: “The recently published racecourse manual is a long-term guidance and development framework, prepared following extensive industry consultation. It supports continuous improvement in racecourse facilities and operations but does not impose immediate or inflexible obligations.

“Implementation is being approached in a phased and collaborative manner, with flexibility built in to reflect the varying scale and circumstances of individual racecourses.

“The IHRB has worked constructively with Thurles in recent months, as we do with all racecourses, and there was no suggestion that racing at the venue could not continue.

“The decision to cease racing at Thurles with immediate effect was a private one taken by the Molony family. Their current licence remains valid until the end of 2025.”

Meanwhile there is speculation that a prominent trainer has sent out feelers to potential investors with a view towards putting together a consortium which could lease or buy the racecourse.

There were also rumours circulating at Dublin Horse Show this week than an international show jumper has expressed an interest in developing a major equestrian centre on the site, which may or may not allow for the continuation of racing there.

While the racecourse is located very close to Thurles town there are differing views on how valuable the land would be for residential development. A local trainer told The Irish Field: “Unfortunately Thurles has fallen quiet in commercial terms with very few industries and it is not really a commuter town either. I’m not sure there would be huge demand for housing there, apart from social housing.”