19:43 Cork

Friday 14 June 2024

All16:5017:2517:5818:3319:0819:4320:13

Cork Derby (Premier Handicap)

Off time: 19:44 | Winning time: 2m 36.96s

(12)

Take Heart⁴⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh| OR: 96

3/1

Very good second of 12 in handicap (10/3) at this course (10.2f, good to soft) 49 days ago. Yard having good spell and he's impossible to rule out.

Form: 1215-02

(11)

Zoffman^p²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Colin Keane| T: N Meade| OR: 91| D

4/1

12/1, eleventh of 12 in handicap at the Curragh (10f, good) 20 days ago. Others make more appeal from a win point of view.

Form: 0/20-330

(1)

Timourid^p,t⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 9-2| J: J M Sheridan| T: P W Flynn| OR: 86

16/1

13/2, career best when winning 7-runner handicap at Leopardstown (9f, good) 8 days ago, keeping on well. Significantly back up in trip and this is more demanding.

Form: 1000-81

(2)

Morph Speed^p1³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 8-12| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: N Slevin| OR: 82| CD

66/1

C&D winner. Eleven runs since last win in 2021. Seventh of 13 in novice hurdle at Downpatrick (18.8f, good, 10/1) 35 days ago. Latest effort in this sphere lacked spark and needs to get back on track now tried in cheekpieces.

Form: 82450-0

(5)

Carlo Bianconi^p³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Wayne Hassett⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 77

9/4

Lightly-raced winner. 16/5 and cheekpieces on for 1st time, career best when winning 8-runner handicap at Sligo (10.6f, good) 30 days ago (subsequently disqualified). Big player off the same mark.

Form: 2-261

(3)

Complete Fiction^p¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 8-7| J: Chris Hayes| T: J P Fahey| OR: 76

8/1

Good third of 16 in handicap at Fairyhouse (10f, good to soft, 11/1) 15 days ago. Needs to raise his game.

Form: 0/121-93

(8)

By Your Side³³

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: Leigh Roche| T: G Elliott| OR: 75| BF

16/1

Eighth of 11 in handicap hurdle at Killarney (17f, good to soft, 12/1) 33 days ago. Fairly useful on the Flat, respectable on last Flat outing. Still, he's opposable judfed on recent hurdles exploits.

Form: 79218/4-

(10)

Jaafel⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 8-7| J: Sean Davis| T: C Byrnes| OR: 75

18/1

7/1, fifth of 10 in handicap at Leopardstown (12.8f, good) 8 days ago, not ideally placed. Lurking on a good mark and he's one to consider.

Form: 54-2005

(7)

Sequoiaspirit¹³

Age: 7| Weight: 8-7| J: Andrew Slattery| T: R Hackett| OR: 75| D

11/1

Creditable second of 13 in handicap hurdle (8/1) at Listowel (20.4f, good) 13 days ago, going with enthusiasm. Down in trip. Fair on the Flat, creditable on last Flat run. Looks vulnerable.

Form: 360/114-

(6)

La Dame Blanche^h⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: Rory Mulligan⁽⁷⁾| T: W Ross| OR: 65

12/1

Thirteen runs since last win in 2022. First run since leaving Michael Mulvany when creditable second of 22 in handicap (20/1) at Navan (10.2f, good) 6 days ago. This demands a clear career-best.

Form: 85520-2

Non-Runners

(4)

Taipan³⁵⁷

Weight: 10-0| Age: 6

T: Mrs J Harrington J: Shane Foley

(9)

Eastern Legend⁴¹

Weight: 9-13| Age: 4

T: J S Bolger J: Rory Cleary

Forecasts

Carlo Bianconi (9/4), Take Heart (3/1), Zoffman (4/1), Eastern Legend (6/1), Complete Fiction (8/1), Taipan (10/1), Sequoiaspirit (11/1), La Dame Blanche (12/1), Timourid (16/1), By Your Side (16/1), Jaafel (18/1), Morph Speed (66/1)

While it's a concern that JAAFEL has yet to strike on turf following 22 attempts, he is clearly effective on grass and could be worth chancing on the back of a very encouraging effort at Leopardstown last week. Carlo Bianconi was first past the post in a Sligo handicap last month and looks very dangerous off the same mark, while Take Heart is third choice. Taipan also merits respect and will be a threat if fit enough to do himself justice.