Ruby Walsh: HRI must stand up and be counted or else Thurles will be lost forever

It has a fabric, a core of local supporters, and an essential role to play in National Hunt racing, especially in the depths of winter

 A view of Thurles Racecourse in 2020. Pic: Ryan Byrne, Inpho

I doubt too many in the Irish racing world expected to wake up Friday morning after the drama of Thursday’s Galway Hurdle to the news that Thurles race course was closing down.

It is the third track to close its doors in my lifetime, but Tralee closed in a property-play move, and so did the Phoenix Park.