Easter racing festival in Mallow a great success

The Racing Home For Easter Festival held in Cork Racecourse, Mallow last weekend proved to be a great success. Patrons were treated

to 3 days of top class racing, which culminated with the ‘pointto-point’ day on Bank Holiday Monday.

Fans of ‘between the flags’ turned up in significant numbers for 9 races, which included two divisions of a pony race, aimed at aspiring young jockeys.

A GOOD DAY FOR TED WALSH AND ‘KILDORRERY’

One of the best known personalities in Irish racing, north Cork native Ted Walsh, was in Mallow on Monday to assess the progress of ‘Kildorrery’, a horse who has run 38 times, amassing over €70,000 in prize money along the way. Always on the verge of ‘something big’, things fell into place perfectly for ‘ Kildorrery’ and his regular pilot, Shane O’Callaghan, when they beat a quality field to land the third race on the card.

Speaking to the press afterwards, 72-year-old Ted, gave a run down on his North Cork credentials.

“I was born in Fermoy and spent a lot of my youth in Kildorrery, I still have family there and keep in touch fairly regularly. Kildorrery is a special place and winning so close to my native place is a great boost, they love their racing in Kildorrery and host a fantatic pointto-point meeting there every year, I’m very proud of the place. The horse and Shane got the job done well today, I’m delighted,” he told The Avondhu.

LOTS OF FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

For those not overly familiar with the form book and too young to have a bet, there was plenty to entertain them in Mallow last Monday - some of the attractions included a mobile farm, playground, puppet show, creative corner and karaoke. Patrons also had the option of keeping an eye on how things were going at the Grand National meeting in Fairyhouse.

LOYAL SPONSORS STEP FORWARD ONCE AGAIN

Everyone associated with Cork Racecourse, Mallow wishes to thank the sponsors, who made the event such a big hit with the racing public. With regard to Bank Holiday Monday, it had the following sponsors: Coolagown Stud, Boulta

Schooling Track, Coolmore, Rathbarry Stud, Glenview Stud, Pegus Horse Feed and Cork & Waterford Point-to

Points.

THEY WILL DO IT ALL AGAIN ON FRIDAY, 6TH MAY

Racing returns to

Cork Racecourse, Mallow with an evening meeting on Friday, 6th May - only a short couple of weeks away.

(Pic: John Ahern) T.J. IN GOOD COMPANY: Fermoy’s T.J. Moore, pictured with Cllr. Noel McCarthy and his family at last Monday’s racing festival in Mallow, l-r: Sharon Roche, Cllr. Noel McCarthy, T.J. Moore, Paddy McCarthy, Scott McCarthy and Tom McCarthy.

(Pic: John Ahern) VALUABLE SPONSORSHIP FROM COOLAGOWN STUD: L-r: Liam Fennessy from Fermoy, with representatives of Coolagown Stud, who sponsored the first race at last Monday’s ‘Racing Home For Easter Festival’ in Cork Racecourse, Mallow - Olivia, David and Evie Stack.

(Pic: John Ahern) Some of the large attendance at last Monday’s very successful race meeting in Cork Racecourse, Mallow, l-r: Jimmy Buckley, Sadie Buckley, along with Mary, Marie, Ann and Ger Murphy.

(Pic: John Ahern) A DAY AT THE RACES: Proprietor of The Butcher’s Bar in Kilworth, Tom Dalton, pictured with his son, Bobby and Bobby’s friend, Gearoid Lenihan from Fermoy, in Cork Racecourse Mallow last Monday.

(Pic: John Ahern) Long standing supporters of national hunt and point-to-point racing, Catherine Cashman from Castlelyons and Nora McCarthy, who were in Cork Racecourse, Mallow last Monday.