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Irish Daily Mirror
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
McCoy tells of sadness as racecourse he rode first winner at announces closure
Irish racing was dealt a seismic blow with the shock announcement on Friday morning that Thurles racecourse would close with immediate effect. Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Don Cossack and Sizing John both won at the track, as did dual Ryanair Chase victor Allaho. Thurles also provided Rachael Blackmore with her first ever winner, as it did AP McCoy. 'Thurles will always be a special place for me," said William Hill ambassador McCoy. "It's where I rode my first winner back in 1992 aboard Legal Steps, a second-string of Jim Bolger's, riding against the likes of Christy Roche and Mick Kinane. It's sad that it's closing, because I always used to think it was 'the only all-weather track in Ireland', because they'd race there no matter what the weather was like! 'It's very sad to see any racecourse closing, and it's just a sad day. You've had plenty of good horses winning there over the years, and the likes of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott were never afraid to send their best horses to the track. You obviously had Don Cossack, Allaho, and Sizing John win there over the years, and that's just a testament to the place. 'Rachael Blackmore rode her first winner there too, and it was one of my favourite tracks in Ireland due to having ridden my first winner there. It's a loss to Irish racing and it's never good to see a track close.' Willie Mullins recorded more than 250 winners at the venue and told of his shock at the immediate closure. He told the PA news agency: "It was a major shock this morning to hear the news. It will be a huge blow for Irish racing, more specifically Irish jump racing and winter jump racing. "Thurles is a track that always had beautiful ground in the winter when other tracks couldn't. "It's the last family-run track in Ireland, I believe. Pierce Molony ran it for years, his father ran it before him and Riona and family have run it since Pierce died and they've been fantastic for the Irish jump fraternity over the years."
Irish Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Jessica Harrington admits Irish Derby win would be ‘top of the list' of racing achievements
Green Impact winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby would be 'top of the list' according to Jessica Harrington , eclipsing her Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Chase-winning exploits over obstacles. Harrington is perhaps mostly known for the long and distinguished career of star two-mile chaser Moscow Flyer and the subsequent blue riband win of Sizing John, but she has also made her mark on the level and having bagged the Irish 1,000 Guineas and Irish Oaks previously now has her eye on the Curragh's elite contest for three-year-old colts. 'These are very important races and ones that are recognised worldwide – just like winning a Champion Chase and Gold Cup in the National Hunt sphere, but winning an Irish Derby would be fantastic,' said Harrington. 'It would very much be top of the list, so I would love to win the Irish Derby.' READ MORE Green Impact has won three of his four starts since narrowly beaten on debut at the Curragh during Irish Derby weekend 12 months ago, accounting for Delacroix in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on his final juvenile start. He impressed when winning the Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown earlier this month, a welcome confidence booster after losing a shoe at a vital stage of the 2,000 Guineas on his return. 'I wouldn't say he didn't get the run of the race in the 2,000 Guineas as he travelled into the race great, but when he got down to the dip he went to change his legs and went to go and try to win the race and he then just lost a shoe and got a bit unbalanced and ended up finishing sixth,' said Harrington. 'At the time I was disappointed but coming out of that race afterwards he was sore and so we gave him a bit of time. The intention was to go to the French Derby but we didn't get there, so we gave him the run in Leopardstown and all roads lead to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby after that.' Now the son of Wootton Bassett is a best price of 10-1 for his Classic assignment, as he prepares to tackle a mile and a half for the first time in a race that could feature the first three home from the Epsom equivalent. 'I think he'll benefit for the step up in trip, he won over a mile as a two-year-old and usually if they do that they stay,' added Harrington. 'He's by Wootton Bassett and out of a Galileo mare and he's also a very laid-back character and very relaxed and easy to do anything with, so I think he will stay. 'It's a big task and everyone looks and sees only 10 runners, but the majority of those 10 runners are quality horses.'
