The Racing Home For Easter Festival will kick start at Cork on Saturday with high class racing at Mallow Racecourse from Saturday through to Easter Monday.
An all Flat card will kick start the weekend and the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cork Stakes has attracted 14 entries including Group 1 winner Tenebrism for trainer Aidan O’Brien. The Ken Condon-trained Moss Tucker and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Brostaigh are other notable inclusions. Saturday at Cork is Social Saturday with live music after racing and racing getting underway at 1.15pm.
On Sunday, Bar One Racing will continue their support of Irish racing and Cork Racecourse by sponsoring three races on the card, including the Grade 3 Bar One Racing Chase which has attracted a strong team from the Willie Mullins stable, who won the race last year with Melon.
Grade 1 winner Chacun Pour Soi and recent Clonmel winner Bachasson spearhead the challenge for the champion trainer, with Bachasson a popular local contender for the O’Connell family.
The 2021 renewal went the way of trainer John Ryan with Waitnsee and Ryan is responsible for two of the 10 entries for Sunday with Fairyhill Run and The Little Yank given the option. Ronald Pump, who followed home Honeysuckle twice in Grade 1 company, is another intriguing entry for trainer Ciaran Murphy, while Gordon Elliott double-handed with Escaria Ten, who does still have an Aintree Grand National entry having finished ninth in that race last year and recent Navan winner Motown Maggie.
“We’re looking forward to a big weekend and a big month of racing,” Elliott said today. “We’ve made a number of entries for Cork including Escaria Ten who is in good order at home. He’s a very talented horse on his day and maybe just found the ground a bit soft for his liking for his last two starts. We’ll see how he is in the coming days and go from there.
“Motown Maggie is also entered. She did what we hoped she would last month at Navan. This is a big step up for her but she’s owned by a great bunch of lads and she might take her chance.”
Feronily opened his account over hurdles at Limerick last time out and is the most fascinating entry for trainer Emmet Mullins.
Also on Sunday is the valuable Grade B Bar One Racing Price Boosts Handicap Hurdle. The weights are topped by the Sean Doyle-trained Lucky Max but recent winners Ballybawn Belter, Gaoth Chuil, Heliko Conti, L’yser, Spillane’s Tower and Troubled Times.
Sunday is Most Stylish Sunday with a €1,000 cash prize and an overnight with spa treatments for two in Fitzgeralds Woodlands Adare up for grabs. J90, Cork’s favourite party band, will play live in the marquee after racing.
General admission prices for Saturday and Monday is €20 and €25 for Sunday with children under 14 racing for free each day. Racegoers can beat the queues and buy tickets online with discounts on general admission also available on www.corkracecourse.ie.
Valued sponsors over the weekend at Cork include Tote Ireland, Irish EBF, Dermot Casey Tree Care, O’Flynn Motors Mallow, Bar One Racing, Mallow Commercials, Jim Ryan Racecourse Services, Coolagawn Stud, Coolmore Stud, Rathmore & Glenview Stud, Pegus Horse Feeds and Cork & Waterford Point to Points.