THE Irish Racehorse Trainers Association [IRTA] has welcomed the news that Thurles Racecourse will continue to operate for at least another season.

Confirmation arrived on Friday morning from Horse Racing Ireland who issued a joint statement with the Molony family’s Thurles Race Company.

The statement said: “Following a successful winter racing season at Thurles, Horse Racing Ireland and Thurles Race Company have agreed to facilitate the continuation of racing at Thurles Racecourse until March 2027, resuming as scheduled on October 8th.”

Riona Molony was quoted as saying: “We are pleased to continue this short-term agreement with Horse Racing Ireland to allow racing to continue at Thurles. The operation of the racecourse is running smoothly under the management of Jessica Cahalan, and this allows us more time to decide on the longer-term plans for the racecourse.”

Suzanne Eade, CEO of HRI, added: “After consultation with the Molony family, we are delighted that racing can continue at Thurles for another winter season. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the IHRB in facilitating this agreement, and to the wider industry for their ongoing support.”

Jessica Cahalan will continue with operational responsibility of the racecourse and will be the point of contact for the duration of the agreement.

Reacting to the news, Feidhlim Cunningham of the IRTA said: “We are pleased to read the statement that Thurles will continue to race until March 2027 at a minimum. This past season clearly shows the vital role Thurles plays for our members and the industry as a whole. Despite a challenging winter for most tracks, Thurles once again proved its importance as a reliable and essential racecourse for NH racing.

“As the Molonys have stated, another season will give them time to decide on the longer term plans for the racecourse and we sincerely hope that a solution can be found to ensure racing in Thurles continues for many generations to come.”

When the Molony family announced in August 2025 that it was stepping away from running the racecourse they said that “ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business” had been a “major factor” in the decision.

The Irish Field reported at the time that Thurles required a seven-figure investment to comply with new racecourse standards but the IHRB responded by saying it had been “working constructively” with the track on making improvements and that it had not refused to license the facility.

The Irish Jockeys Association also rejected any suggestion its members had threatened to boycott the track unless certain upgrades were made at that time.

Thurles staged its winter programme without incident and the season there was generally acknowledged to have been successful.

Asked if Thurles was likely to retain its licence next season, a spokesperson for the IHRB told The Irish Field: “The IHRB’s role is to ensure, as far as possible, the safety of both riders and horses in racing. In the case of Thurles, the IHRB was satisfied that sufficient measures were in place for racing to take place and granted a licence on that basis. Decisions regarding the longer-term future of the racecourse are a matter for the racecourse.”