About the course
Thurles Racecourse sits about a mile west of Thurles town in Co. Tipperary. It is the only privately owned racecourse in Ireland and has belonged to the Molony family since the early 1900s. The first recorded race meeting in Thurles was a three-day meeting in June 1732.
The track is a right-handed oval of one and a quarter miles, known for being sharp and undulating, with a steep uphill finish. Thurles was never purpose built and has grown over the years. Its reputation rests on producing raceable ground in the depths of winter, which is why it is jokingly called "Ireland's first all-weather racecourse". The course hosts both Flat and jumps racing, though most of its meetings are winter jumps fixtures.
Current status
In August 2025 the Molony family announced that the course would close, but after talks with Horse Racing Ireland racing continued under an agreement in which HRI took on operational responsibility. In April 2026 it was announced that racing would continue at Thurles through March 2027, with the new season starting in October. The longer-term future of the course has not yet been decided, so check the latest fixtures before you travel.
Big meetings and races
The best known race at Thurles is the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase, usually run in January. Two of its winners, Don Cossack in 2016 and Sizing John in 2017, went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and the course is often used as a stepping stone for horses heading to Cheltenham.
Other notable races include the Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle and the Pierce Molony Memorial. Most meetings are held on Thursday afternoons, and the annual Sunday meeting before Christmas is always well attended.
Getting there
- By road: the course is about 1 mile west of Thurles town and 5 miles west of the main Dublin to Cork road, on the road towards Limerick, Shannon and Galway.
- By rail: Thurles station, on the Dublin to Cork line, is about a mile from the course. The racecourse's listings mention a free minibus from the station on race days, so check it is running before you travel.
- By bus: Bernard Kavanagh and Sons run a coach service to and from Thurles.
- By air: Shannon is the closest major airport.
Facilities and tips for visitors
Thurles is a small, friendly local track. The main bar is beside the parade ring, and the restaurant next to it serves an extensive hot food menu, with bacon and cabbage a favourite with regular racegoers. There is also a barbecue for burgers and a café under the stand for soup and sandwiches.
If you are going racing for the first time, see our guide to your first day at the races.
Nearby places to stay
Thurles town is the closest base, a short drive or taxi ride from the course, and the racecourse lists hotels in the area on its facilities page. Because Thurles is on the main Dublin to Cork railway line, it is also easy to visit as a day trip by train.
Thurles is within reach of the other Tipperary courses at Tipperary and Clonmel, and of Limerick.
Latest results: Thursday, 8 October
13:16Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden1m ½f · Flat · 2yo · Good To YieldingWon by Silver Kiss
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Silver Kiss D K Weld | 9-2 | Chris Hayes |
| 2nd | Light Of Saxony Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 9-2 | J M Sheridan |
| 3rd | Chattering Classes Mrs J. Harrington | 9-2 | Seamie Heffernan |
| 4th | Ophelia Aidan O'Brien | 9-2 | Ben Coen |
| 5th | Kathy M Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 9-2 | Declan McDonogh |
| 6th | Beach Aidan O'Brien | 8-11 | Jack Cleary |
| 7th | Abiding Donnacha Aidan O'Brien | 9-2 | Gavin Ryan |
| 8th | Lori Darlin Noel Meade | 9-2 | Adam Caffrey |
| 9th | Suspect One Eoin Doyle | 9-2 | Wesley Joyce |
| 10th | Eagles Voice h John S O'Donoghue | 9-2 | Nathan Crosse |
13:51Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden (Smullen Series)1m ½f · Flat · 2yo · Good To YieldingWon by King Christoph
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | King Christoph A. Slattery | 9-1 | Andrew Slattery |
| 2nd | Dawnmore J S Bolger | 9-1 | Seamie Heffernan |
| 3rd | Battle Ready Noel Meade | 9-3 | Adam Caffrey |
| 4th | Postponing Reality p Gavin Cromwell | 9-5 | G. F. Carroll |
| 5th | Melchizedek M P Fogarty | 9-3 | Rory Cleary |
| 6th | Why Oh Why James Dowling | 8-3 | Reese Holohan |
| 7th | Togetherwearefree Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 9-4 | J M Sheridan |
| 8th | Ah Sure Look Martin Hassett | 9-1 | Declan McDonogh |
| 9th | Spectrolyte A. Slattery | 9-4 | Ben Coen |
| 10th | Clash t Josh Halley | 9-5 | Chris Hayes |
| 11th | Dramatic Approach Mrs J. Harrington | 9-3 | Nathan Crosse |
| 12th | Lash La Rue Noel Meade | 8-13 | Siobhan Rutledge |
| 13th | Alone All Alone E J O'Neill | 9-3 | Gavin Ryan |
| 14th | Evan D Invincible Mark Michael McNiff | 9-5 | Luke McAteer |
14:26BOYLE Sports Handicap (Div I)1m ½f · Flat · 3yo+ · YieldingWon by Starflow
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Starflow tb Henry de Bromhead | 9-1 | Conor Cusack |
| 2nd | Cause I Like You t Michael Mulvany | 9-2 | G. F. Carroll |
| 3rd | The Blue Panther tp Aidan Melia | 9-7 | Reese Holohan |
| 4th | Mogwli v W. McCreery | 8-10 | Leigh Roche |
| 5th | Survivor's Code p Conor David Maxwell | 8-11 | Rory Cleary |
| 6th | Medieval Night tb Denis Gerard Hogan | 9-12 | J M Sheridan |
| 7th | Monocle Rocket p Daniel McLoughlin | 9-4 | Ben Coen |
| 8th | Imperial Dream Patrick J Flynn | 9-1 | Robyn Donaghue-Leahy |
| 9th | Free Solo tp P J F Murphy | 10-2 | Chris Hayes |
| 10th | Gilts Richard Brabazon | 9-5 | Siobhan Rutledge |
| 11th | Miss Ivor P O'Rourke | 8-11 | Jimmy Dalton |
| 12th | Swing Street Richard John O'Brien | 9-0 | Nathan Crosse |
| 13th | Steppinoncats Rory Anthony Devine | 9-2 | Luke McAteer |
15:01BOYLE Sports Handicap (Div II)1m ½f · Flat · 3yo+ · YieldingWon by Tariff
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tariff Conor David Maxwell | 8-11 | Rory Cleary |
| 2nd | Princess Chloe John McConnell | 9-10 | Siobhan Rutledge |
| 3rd | Queen Aethelflaed A. Slattery | 9-9 | Adam Browne-Souza |
| 4th | Prada's World Noel C. Kelly | 9-1 | Shane B Kelly |
| 5th | Saith Seren Andrew Lee | 9-0 | Robbie Colgan |
| 6th | Glamazon Paul W Flynn | 9-13 | Leigh Roche |
| 7th | Covert Legend tp Aidan Melia | 9-10 | Reese Holohan |
| 8th | Elusive In Mayo Thomas Gibney | 9-0 | Nicola Burns |
| 9th | Miss Glenville tp Paul Power | 9-8 | G. F. Carroll |
| 10th | Duchess Anne Mrs Denise Foster | 8-6 | Orla Tynan |
| 11th | Aghadrum Boy P J F Murphy | 9-0 | Gavin Ryan |
| 12th | Chou Chou b Eamonn O'Connell | 9-4 | Ben Coen |
| 13th | Ramair Richard Anthony Foley | 8-0 | Shay Wallace |
| 14th | Desert Swing p Andrew Kinirons | 10-2 | Seamie Heffernan |
15:36Welcome Back To Thurles Handicap1m 4½f · Flat · 3yo+ · YieldingWon by Max Meridius
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Max Meridius Thomas Mullins | 9-1 | Jimmy Dalton |
| 2nd | Red Glory tp Henry de Bromhead | 9-9 | Adam Grant |
| 3rd | Queen Of Astolat p Denis Gerard Hogan | 8-12 | Reese Holohan |
| 4th | Wungudi t David Kenneth Budds | 9-4 | James Ryan |
| 5th | Desert Friend t P J F Murphy | 9-0 | Conor Cusack |
| 6th | Jazzy Rock Francis Casey | 8-1 | Megan de Souza-Wearen |
| 7th | Premier Princess p Denis Gerard Hogan | 8-9 | Jack Cleary |
| 8th | Felicity Smoak Paul Nolan | 9-5 | Julian Pietropaolo |
| 9th | Glen Echo p Gavin Cromwell | 9-10 | Robert Whearty |
| 10th | Ms Messi Paul W Flynn | 9-5 | Nicola Burns |
| 11th | Quinchy Lady v John McConnell | 9-1 | Siobhan Rutledge |
| 12th | Just Another Eagle Patrick J Flynn | 8-7 | Robyn Donaghue-Leahy |
| 13th | Simpletwistoffaith John F O'Neill | 9-0 | Robbie Colgan |
| 14th | Sazerac Dance Paul Nolan | 9-5 | Nathan Crosse |
16:11Killinan Handicap1m 4½f · Flat · 3yo · YieldingWon by The Austrian
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | The Austrian Mrs J. Harrington | 10-0 | Seamie Heffernan |
| 2nd | Pierre Grosse Mrs J. Harrington | 9-3 | Keithen Kennedy |
| 3rd | Nermal A. Slattery | 9-3 | Andrew Slattery |
| 4th | Cladach p Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 8-1 | Julian Pietropaolo |
| 5th | Vantage Code Emmet Mullins | 9-6 | Ben Coen |
16:43www.thurlesraces.ie Maiden2m ½f · Flat · 3yo+ · Yielding To SoftWon by Sunny South West
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sunny South West h Edward F Power | 9-11 | Michael Kenneally |
| 2nd | Teofil J S Bolger | 10-2 | Seamie Heffernan |
| 3rd | Shirzan P G Fahey | 9-4 | Jessica O'Gorman |
| 4th | Fiveonefive Cian Collins | 10-2 | G. F. Carroll |
| 5th | Purple Bandit b Mrs J. Harrington | 9-8 | Scott McCullagh |
| 6th | Yogini tb Donnacha Aidan O'Brien | 9-8 | Gavin Ryan |
| 7th | Nucky Johnson Dermot A McLoughlin | 10-2 | James Ryan |
| 8th | Ben Lomond p Gerard Kyne | 10-2 | Leigh Roche |
| 9th | Mothel Abbey Patrick J Flynn | 9-3 | Alan Persse |
17:20Racing Here On The 12th November Handicap2m ½f · Flat · 3yo+ · Yielding To SoftWon by Blissful Bonita
| Pos | Horse | Wgt | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Blissful Bonita p Gavin Cromwell | 9-0 | G. F. Carroll |
| 2nd | Glittering Gem D K Weld | 9-12 | Chris Hayes |
| 3rd | Granville Street p Ciaran Murphy | 9-9 | Reese Holohan |
| 4th | Mr Ballynonty A. Slattery | 8-12 | Jimmy Dalton |
| 5th | Tatum Noel Meade | 9-12 | Ben Coen |
| 6th | Miss Australie Adrian McGuinness | 9-6 | Conor Cusack |
| 7th | Alexa Next Martin Hassett | 9-2 | Shay Wallace |
| 8th | Miss Gitana t Joseph Anthony Murray | 9-2 | Rory Mulligan |
| 9th | Party Dress tp W. McCreery | 9-0 | Megan Telford-Kelly |
| 10th | Mr Rango James M Barcoe | 9-8 | Siobhan Rutledge |
| 11th | Pampar Lady Gavin Cromwell | 9-10 | Jack Kearney |
| 12th | Cozone Matthew J Smith | 9-11 | Wesley Joyce |
| 13th | Blackjack Hills Matthew J Smith | 9-6 | Robbie Colgan |
Latest highlights
Highlights from Horse Racing Ireland on YouTube. Full race replays are on Racing TV.
Questions people ask
Is Thurles Racecourse still open?
Yes, for now. After the owners announced a closure in August 2025, Horse Racing Ireland agreed to operate the course, and in April 2026 it was confirmed that racing would continue through March 2027. The long-term future has not been decided.
When does Thurles race?
Thurles mainly races in the winter months, with most meetings on Thursday afternoons. The season is due to start in October.
Who owns Thurles Racecourse?
Thurles has been owned by the Molony family since the early 1900s and is the only privately owned racecourse in Ireland. Horse Racing Ireland currently has operational responsibility under a short-term agreement.
Sources
- Thurles Racecourse, official website
- Thurles Racecourse: History
- Thurles Racecourse: Facilities
- Thurles Racecourse: Fixtures
- Horse Racing Ireland: Thurles Racecourse
- Association of Irish Racecourses: Thurles
- Thoroughbred Daily News: Racing to continue at Thurles through March 2027
- Thoroughbred Daily News: Thurles to continue racing until at least next March
- Wikipedia: Thurles Racecourse
Last reviewed 30 September 2026. Dates and details change, so check with the racecourse before you travel.