IN the coming weeks Clonmel will stage a couple of National Hunt meetings. They staged one of the first meetings of the new 2018-19 season on May 3rd when the seven races were won by seven different trainers.

This got me thinking about racecourses that provide racing and opportunities for smaller yards and Clonmel surely has a record second to none in that regard. When I checked back on the meetings held in May and June of 2017 I found that the 14 races run were all won by different trainers. No yard doubled up. Surely this was an unusual happening?

In 2016 the same two meetings, in May and June, saw 15 races run and, would you believe it, all were won by horses from different stables. Quite remarkable really. You have to go back to the May and June meetings in 2015 to find any repetition among the trainers – when Eoin Doyle and Henry de Bromhead saddled a pair of winners each.

Six hurdle races and a bumper make up the card for next Thursday’s evening meeting at Clonmel, also known as Powerstown Park. One of the races carries the name of the racecourse’s supporters’ club, founded 30 years ago. To have a club enjoy such a long life is testament to the good work they do. The club was formed at a difficult time, when the threat of closure hung over the track.

It is conceded that the formation of this club, along with the support it gave to the racecourse, was a key element in the saving of the track for racing. Thus Clonmel can now claim to be racing for more than 150 years, a boast that it can be very proud to shout about.

Mares are well catered for at the upcoming meeting, with the final race on the card being a bumper for that sex. The race title is also an apt advertisement for the June 8th meeting which should have a large family attendance, being aimed at that audience with a barbecue and a number of packages available. Time to gather a group of friends and have a fun evening out and, being held on a Friday, welcoming the weekend.

Clonmel has seen much refurbishment carried out in the past decade. This work has helped to provide more comfort and in 2016 the course posted a 9% increase in attendances. Last year this was consolidated and, fine weather allowing, hopes are that more growth is possible.

One measure of a track’s popularity is the quality of the runners there. After all, it is about the sport of racing. The ability to attract high-class horses is a key factor. The Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase naturally attracts top quality fields, and the Co Tipperary venue can lay claim to the likes of Sizing Europe, War Of Attrition, Beef Or Salmon, Moscow Express, Dorans Pride and Imperial Call winning there in the past two decades.

Visitors to Clonmel racecourse, about which manager D J Histon says is “one of the most picturesque tracks in the country”, should consider making an early start and plan to soak up some of the countryside nearby, as well as the attractions within the town. Clonmel has a great history, nestled in the Suir Valley and with the magnificent Comeragh mountains acting as a natural backdrop.

Set on 160 acres, with all the amenities of a town on the doorstep, Clonmel is a place to visit. Make it one of your places to see in 2018.