Racing set to return to Mallow on Sunday

SUNDAY’S MEETING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THE FIRST OF THREE THIS MONTH

THE sound of thundering hooves will at long last be heard again around the Cork Racecourse in Mallow on Sunday as the venue holds its long-awaited first meeting following the lifting of lock-down restrictions.

Sunday’s meeting, which will be held behind closed doors, will be the first of three pencilled in for the Mallow venue over the coming month.

The remaining two, a flat meet and a national hunt meet, will take place on Sunday, July 12 and Friday, July 24 respectively.

This Sunday’s flat meeting will feature seven races, including two group three races, a listed race and a premier handicap race, with the first of these, the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Maiden, going to post at 2.30pm.

One of the highlights of the day will be the Marble Hill Stakes, a listed race open to two-year-old horses, run over six, furlongs with a purse of €50,000.

Sunday will also see the running if the Munster Oaks Stakes over a distance of one mile and four furlongs, which also has €50,000 up for grabs.

All of the Cork meetings will be televised, with Bartlemy-based company IRIS securing the contract to supply coverage to Sports Information Services (SIS), Racing TV and terrestrial broadcasters.

Speaking to The Corkman recently, Cork Racecourse Manager Andrew Hogan said everyone at the venue is eagerly looking forward to racing returning to

Mallow.

He said the enforced closure of the racecourse had meant nine meetings being dropped from their 2020 calendar, including the lucrative Racing Home for Easter Festival and the popular Student’s Day – resulting in the venue losing 50 per cent of its annual revenue.

“Thankfully, it was never a case of us closing down ,and we have been able to keep on all our full-time staff, but there is no doubt but that it will take a long time for us to recover,” said Mr Hogan.

“That said, we feel very lucky to be able to get back on track, even if it is behind closed doors, particularly when you see the uncertainty surrounding other sectors of the hospitality sector. Not just for us, but for horse racing as a whole, all of the jockeys, trainers, owners and everyone connected with the sector who rely on prize money for their livelihoods.”

Mr Hogan said that there was one silver lining to the enforced closure of the racecourse, it being that the track has never been in better condition.

“It has been given a good rest, and we are all ready for the off. The course is in great condition and we will be working to fit in as many race days as we can for the remainder of the year,” he said.

Mr Hogan said that while Cork Racecourse has handed over a section of the venue to be used by the HSE as a COVID-19 test centre for the foreseeable future, it will not present a problem on race days.

“The first two meetings are on Sundays, when no testing is scheduled to take place,” said Mr Hogan.

“In any case, together with the HSE we will be putting distancing protocols in place to ensure there will be no crossover,” he added.