THE winter racing season started at Thurles on Thursday, but not in the way you might have expected. The Co Tipperary venue had not staged flat racing since March 29th, 2007. That day the card contained eight races, with five run under National Hunt rules (including a bumper) and the first three races run on the flat.

The Aga Khan-owned and bred Shabahar won the opening maiden over a mile for trainer John Oxx, with Fran Berry in the saddle. The champion jockey of 2006, Declan McDonagh was on the runner-up but half an hour later he was in the winners’ circle after the James Leavy-trained, Ann Donnelly-owned Volcan Magique obliged. The third flat race, all of which were run over the same trip, was won by Patrick Ryan’s Max Scal, a 20/1 shot trained by John O’Shea and giving young Craig Allen his second win in the saddle.

Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien did not saddle any runners that day in 2007 but he had the pleasure of winning the first three races on Thursday as Thurles staged an all-flat meeting to replace the traditional National Hunt one originally planned. The need to call off their second meeting in a row looked ominous for Thurles, thanks to the continuing lack of rain, but some quick thinking by officials saw a flat programme staged, and all who rode were praiseworthy of the track.

Tony Mullins, Denis Hogan, Tony Martin and Jim Bolger all saddled winners, no doubt grateful for the opportunities of the revised programme.

No one was more pleased to see racing return to the Molony family-owned track than manager Kate. She is following in the considerable shoes of her late father Pierce Molony who was for so long the driving force behind the racecourse, ably assisted by his wife Riona and four daughters, the others being Trisha, Helen and Annemarie.

In a previous interview for this column, Kate admitted that the first question she asks herself when an issue arises at Thurles is “what would Daddy do?” No doubt she sought plenty of inspiration in recent weeks. It is fingers crossed now for a return to ‘normal service’ with the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, November 8th. This is one of four meetings that month, with Christmas expenses likely to be sought by those attending the races on Saturday, December 22nd.

“Our meeting before Christmas always attracts a large crowd, with many locals using it to start the festivities. Much praise and thanks must go to our clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer, and our very dedicated ground staff – Andrew Purcell, Richie Brennan and Declan Carroll. They take such pride in the track, getting it back after racing, and they treat it like their own gardens.”

There have been no shortage of National Hunt stars racing at Thurles in recent times, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John. Grade 1 winners Great Field and Augusta Kate also used Thurles as a warm-up for future big race success. After Thursday’s meeting, some are wondering if they saw a Derby winner at Thurles. Keep an eye on Constantinople next year. His half-brother Bondi Beach was runner-up in the St Leger and he could go one better.