Alan O'Sullivan and Brian Hayes impress on Student Raceday at Mallow

The annual Student Raceday at Cork Racecourse Mallow attracted a huge crowd.

On a beautifully crisp spring afternoon, all tickets were sold out, and the glorious weather ensured that sartorial elegance was the order of the day.

There was a particularly poignant moment at the Mallow venue when Alan O'Sullivan, brother of the late Michael O'Sullivan, landed the penultimate race for his Churchtown and Buttevant connections. Cullig, trained by Patrick Foley, provided O’Sullivan with an emotional victory in the Gentleman’s League Handicap Hurdle. 

Alan's uncle Eugene and his cousin Maxine were on hand to greet him on his return to the enclosure. 

Alan's late brother Michael had done a lot of the schooling on Thursday's winner a point endorsed by the Carlow trainer afterwards.

STUDENT ROAR

Rosscarbery jockey Brian Hayes has experienced the famous Cheltenham Roar via his mares chase victory on Impervious in 2023. This time on his native soil he experienced the student roar as Saint Le Fort shed his maiden status in the Voodoo Rooms Maiden Hurdle. 

Saint Le Fort had run with the choke out when disappointing in Clonmel. He'd finished third in a Listed bumper in Limerick last year which was probably the best individual piece of form heading into this contest. 

His supporters had an anxious moment when he appeared to be struggling at the third last. The favourite St Cuthbert’s Cave looked a possible winner at this juncture but he's been costly to follow and had burst when pulled up at Killarney last year. 

Hayes got a great tune out of Philip Fenton's charge who struck the front approaching the last. His stamina kicked in on the run to the line as he scored by a length and a quarter from Bright Legend with the favourite St Cuthbert's Cave a disappointing third.

Mark Walsh and JP McManus were the go-to combination in Cheltenham last week. They combined in the opening maiden hurdle with the overnight favourite Carried With Love who was surprisingly easy to back on-course and on the exchanges. 

He stretched right away on the run to the final flight and ran out a facile winner. She had finished fourth here in December and that form was validated in Cheltenham last week.

Mark Walsh exuded confidence throughout with the second last hurdle omitted. She went for her race approaching the final flight and quickly asserted for a six-and-a-half length success. 

The 11/4 favourite Blake finished second having been all the rage in the ring on his hurdling and Irish debut. He can make amends going forward with the experience gained. The winner had caught the eye here in a hot maiden hurdle won by Cheltenham winner Puturhandstogether in December.