Huge crowd at Cork Racecourse Mallow for Easter Sunday racing
A great crowd in attendance on Easter Sunday at Cork Racecourse Mallow. Picture: Healy Racing
EASTER Sunday is invariably one of the highlights of the racing calendar at Cork Racecourse Mallow and a huge crowd flocked to north Cork on Sunday afternoon.
Day two of the Easter festival was an all-National Hunt card, with testing ground ensuring some stamina-sapping tests.
The featured Grade 3 Bar One Racing Chase attracted only two runners. Asterion Forlonge was 1/4 to beat his solitary rival Lucid Dreams. The grey gelding owned by Joe and Marie Donnelly hadn’t won over fences since landing a handicap Chase at the 2021 Festival at Punchestown.
Sean O’Keeffe was content to take a lead off his solitary rival for much of the race. Once given the office he cruised to a 14-length success. His jumping hasn't always been entirely convincing, but this was a nice confidence booster.
Sir Gerhard was a short-priced favourite to land the €17,500 Bar One Racing Hurdle. The three-time Grade One winner and dual Cheltenham Festival winner had reverted to hurdles after losing his confidence over fences.
He came here on the back of a disappointing effort in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham. On paper, he looked in a different league to his rivals. He was backed from 1/4 into 1/5 and duly landed the odds by 12 lengths under Sean O'Keeffe.
The winner sported the iconic Cheveley Park Stud silks. Charles Byrne's Maidenstreetprince was attempting to keep the jolly honest when falling two out. Winning rider Sean O'Keeffe has ridden Sir Gerhard in work at home in Closutton and he felt the drop in trip was beneficial.
"He is a very good horse and it was a nice race for him, dropping back in trip."
Racing opened with the Dermot Casey Tree Care Maiden Hurdle. The market suggested Tranquil Sea's turn might have finally arrived. He'd only succumbed by half-a-length to subsequent Cheltenham runner-up Eagles Reign at Punchestown.
Tranquil Sea was supported in the ring from evens into 8/11. He was forced to pull out all the stops under a persistent drive from Sean Flanagan, for trainer Paul Nolan.
The third horse, Park That, was the real eye-catcher for Enda Bolger, surely a horse for a maiden hurdle going forward, possibly around Killarney.
The O'Flynn Motors Mallow Mares Maiden Hurdle looked a competitive affair.
Lep Around who'd been well supported in a bumper here recently was again all the rage in the market. As big as 10/1 in the offices in the morning, she was supported from 9/2 to 11/4 in the ring.
She landed the gamble in style under Glanworth jockey John Shinnick for Castletownroche trainer Marie Harding. John told me afterwards that she'll be a better mare going left-handed but that she had plenty left in the locker and was still pulling his arms out coming back in.
The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Steeplechase afforded compensation for Charles and Philip Byrne's who'd had a faller when in contention in the Bar One Hurdle. They combined with Summer Tide who sprang an 18/1 surprise with a smooth success over 11/8 favourite Now Is The Hour.
The winner assumed control at the third last and gave an exhibition of accurate jumping, readily fending off the jolly by a length and three-quarters.
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