Cork treble for Willie Mullins including Jody Townend winning in the last race onboard Doctor Du Mesnil

The second day of the Racing Home For Easter festival at Cork Racecourse Mallow attracted a huge Easter Sunday attendance for an attractive National Hunt Card. 

The featurer was the Grade 3 €35,000 Michael O'Sullivan Chase to honour the memory of the late Lombardstown jockey, who had ridden a treble on this very card in 2023.

Barney O’Hare, CEO of Bar One Racing, the race sponsors, generously allowed Cork Racecourse to rename the race in Michael’s honour - Mister Policeman who was one of Michael's three winners here two years ago landed the spoils under JJ Slevin to give Willie Mullins a fourth consecutive victory in the race. 

Michael O’Sullivan's parents William and Bernie and their son Alan presented the trophy to JJ Slevin afterwards. 

The winner had travelled well in behind the market leaders throughout. 

Asterion Forlonge the 4/5 favourite went off in front but had come under pressure when unseating Sean O’Keeffe.

Racing began with the Dermot Casey Tree Care Maiden Hurdle. Dark Oak was all the rage through the morning from 3/1 into 6/5. 

She set out to make all but was picked off by her market rival Eternal Echo on the run to the last. 

Gordon Elliott's charge made a really bad mistake two out, but was quickly back on an even keel. He quickened up as he'd done in his Naas bumper victory to win by four and a half lengths.

The €17,000 Bar One Racing Hurdle was one of the highlights on the card. 

King Of Kingsfield went off the 5/4 favourite He was deployed as a pacemaker in the Champion Hurdle for Brighterdaysahead last month. 

However it was Andy Slattery's classy dual purpose horse Smooth Tom who outclassed his rivals.

He'd finished third at The Curragh in the Lincoln last month and he was well supported into 10/3. 

Cian Quirke sent him to the front at halfway. King Of Kingsfield flattered briefly but Smooth Tom utilised his gears to win hard held by five and a half lengths. 

The favourite looks one to swerve; he faded tamely into fourth.

The O'Flynn Motors Mallow Mares Maiden Hurdle looked ultra. Colonia Victoria went off favourite at 7/4 having been 4/1 in the offices. 

There was a big plunge on Carrigtwohill trainer Terence O’Brien’s Nytol from 8/1 in the morning into 9/4. #

It was the Wexford combination of Sean O’Keeffe and Paul Nolan who combined for a smooth success on Colonia Victoria, beating her market rival with quite a bit in hand.

Mirazur West made all the running under Jody McGarvey to land the beginners' chase. 

The well supported 8/11 favourite jumped for fun out in front. Foxy Girl his market rival cried enough two out, Harsh tried to keep the winner honest on the run in but it proved to be a futile exercise.

On a day when Munster Hurling Championship dominated the sporting narrative it was appropriate that one of the true aristocrats of Munster Hurling Nicky English had a runner in the concluding bumper Thedeviluno. 

He had to settle for second place behind the very impressive Doctor Du Mesnil who went off a heavily backed 11/8 favourite under Jody Townend to complete a treble at Cork for trainer Willie Mullins.

On Monday, another late Cork Jockey will be honoured at Cork Racecourse with the Jack Tyner Memorial Hunter Chase. 

Jack Tyner died five days after being hospitalised following a fall at Dungarvan Point To Point in 2011 at the age of nineteen. 

In a poignant twist of fate Michael O’Sullivan rode his first ever winner under rules at Cork Racecourse seven years ago at the Easter Festival on Wilcosdiana in the race run in Jack Tyner’s memory. 

That outcome was surely written in the stars.