Those of an actuarial mind might look at Ireland’s 26 racetracks and rationally conclude there are too many of them. There are more racetracks per capita in Ireland than any other country in the world.
It is an easy statistical argument to make. But the saga surrounding Thurles racecourse underlines how this is about much more than a simple mathematical equation.
Even allowing for how Laytown is one of the 26 - its single annual fixture was held on Thursday – there’s nothing new about the argument for cutting the number of tracks in this country. Even back in the 1990s, there were arguments made for pruning facilities that are only active a dozen-or-so times a year.
A logical case can be made to close a slice of the so-called smaller tracks, pile more fixtures into bigger venues closer to major population centres and invest heavily in them in terms of prizemoney to help try and attract new audiences.
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Closing a racecourse is anything but a rational exercise, though.
Those who operate them mostly do so as a labour of love. To racing fans, tracks come with emotional legacies. Some are more loved than others, but none fail to produce an instinctive reaction. Many are also embedded in the broader social fabric of where they are, generating much more than simply results and SPs.
There’s also the reality that many of the smaller venues – ironically those presumably most vulnerable to cold-eyed financial analysis – are the ones that people want to go to. Comparative outposts such as Ballinrobe or Downpatrick have successfully managed to get custom through their gates in a way that the Curragh, for all its €81 million revamp, can sometimes only envy.
It always flirts with corn to talk about the variety of racecourses in Ireland and their individual appeal, but it’s hard to dismiss it too. Champion trainer Willie Mullins has been vocal about the need to preserve Thurles and the other turf tracks as part of Irish racing’s overall appeal. There’s no more credible voice in the game.
“Our country tracks don’t need all the modern conveniences that maybe a Leopardstown or the Curragh or places like that need,” he said recently. “We don’t expect it either. If there’s a stand, a parade ring, somewhere nice to get a cup of tea and a bit to eat, that’s all we want from our midweek racing.
“It’s not all about making money. All these small tracks . . . I’m involved in Tramore; if we get by, we’re very happy. We run races to keep racing going, keeping racing in that part of the country. We can’t afford to lose any more grass tracks. Jump racing needs them. They are essential to our game. All-weather tracks are fine for flat racing but that doesn’t suit us.”
Talks between Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the Molony family that owns Thurles has seen the track go from immediate closure at the start of last month to a reprieve that keeps 11 fixtures there until March. The visceral reaction to the closure from so many put pressure on HRI to act. Nevertheless, there remains a sense of a can being kicked down the road.
If Thurles is to have a long-term future, investment is required at a level the Molonys appeared to baulk at. HRI is committed to a delayed construction of a new all-weather circuit at its own Tipperary facility, so it will hardly have the cash to bring Thurles up to scratch. That could leave hopes pinned on securing a buyer prepared to try and make it a profitable going concern.
How realistic a business proposition that is, though, is debatable, not only in terms of Thurles but for other tracks too. The initial impact of media rights income transformed the financial landscape, only to be succeeded by a presumption the money hose would keep flowing. But having your fate tied up in media rights has come back to bite.
Income from the current pictures deal is wrapped up in how much betting turnover is generated.
It is unfortunate, then, that racing’s share of the gambling pie is reducing all the time. Having once been close to the only show in town, racing is falling further down the list of priorities held by the major gambling conglomerates. That Britain’s betting landscape generally is in upheaval adds to anxiety about long-term financial prospects.
It is an outlook that hardly smacks of rampant profitability when it comes to any of Ireland’s racecourses. The initial Thurles closure came as a shock to all parts of the sport. Even with a temporary reprieve, the Molony family’s original decision will resonate with those in charge of other tracks. For some, success will ultimately be counted in terms of survival.
All the charm and variety in the world still must be afforded. Rationalisation theories can be dismissed by racecourses able to financially sustain themselves, whatever their size. But the bleak prospect is that some may find out how charm and variety don’t figure too high up on any balance sheet.
Something for the Weekend
Haydock’s Sprint Cup is Saturday’s Group One action where My Mate Alfie is the sole Irish hope in a bumper 17-runner field. Considering France’s Lazzat is a strong favourite, plenty are prepared to take him on, including another Royal Ascot winner Time For Sandals. A value option could be Sayidah Dariyan (3.35). Richard Hughes’s filly was outpaced over five furlongs in the Nunthorpe and should relish a furlong further.
Closer to home, Fresh Fade (2.15) goes in Navan having showed a good attitude to win at Naas on his last start. Dylan Browne McMonagle again teams up with him and if the ground dries out it will further help his chance in a juvenile conditions event.
