2:12 Cork
The 2:12 at Cork is a 16-runner Kendellen Construction Handicap Hurdle over 2m2f140y on good ground. A field of mostly useful and fair performers lines up, though recent form is mixed across the board and several runners are stepping up or dropping in trip for the first time. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, with the leading quartet separated by just two points, underlining a competitive heat where course records, trip suitability and the uncontested pace shape will all play their part.
How the race shapes up
With a lone leader likely to enjoy an uncontested lead, the pace shape is strongly in favour of anything able to race prominently or on the pace. Boola Times is the only confirmed front-runner in the line-up and should be allowed an easy time up front. The remainder of the field is dominated by held-up types who will be looking to close late, which poses the key question of whether the leader can dictate and hold on or if the closers will be able to reel him back on this good surface.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1Synchronize55/100
Synchronize is a useful performer who has been out of form for some time with a string of poor efforts. He has run twice at Cork without placing and is stepping up in trip today having failed to trouble the judge on his only previous attempt at this distance. The trainer has a 7% strike rate at Cork from 72 runs with an A/E of 0.98 while the jockey posts a 9% strike rate from 74 rides with an A/E of 1.12. He has been placed once from eight runs on good ground but remains winless on the surface. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he will need to improve markedly on recent form to feature.
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2Our Girl Ellie KTB Selection55/100
Our Girl Ellie is a useful mare who has shown fair form on her better days yet has been well below that in two starts this season. She steps up in trip for the first time today which asks a fresh question of her. The trainer has no previous runners at Cork while the jockey holds an 11% strike rate here from 202 rides with an A/E of 1.08. She has been placed once from three runs on good ground without winning. Usually held up and producing her effort late, she brings the best KTB Fit Score in a race where the selection is taken to bounce back to her previous level.
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3Centreofattention54/100
Centreofattention is a useful performer who has shown some consistency lately with placed efforts at this trip on good ground. This is his first run at Cork, which is neutral given the trainer's modest 8% strike rate from nearly 200 runs here, while the jockey has managed a 17% strike rate from a small sample of six rides with an A/E of 0.34. He has been placed twice from three runs on good ground without winning. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he now tries first-time headgear after a mixed recent record.
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4Boola Times53/100
Boola Times is a useful performer who has shown enough in recent runs to stay competitive at this level. Dropping back in trip today asks a fresh question having last been seen over two and a half miles. The trainer operates at a modest 5% strike rate at Cork from 73 runs with an A/E of 0.89 while the jockey fares slightly better with an 11% strike rate from 201 rides and an A/E of 0.82. He has one win and two placed efforts from seven runs on good ground. As the only confirmed front-runner he is set to make the running or race prominently in a race with a lone leader pace shape.
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5Duke Otto52/100
Duke Otto is a useful performer who has never won over hurdles and arrives out of form after two poor runs this season. He has shown some competitiveness on good ground but his four runs at Cork have produced no better than fifth place. Dropping back in trip is an unknown at this stage of his career. The trainer has a 7% strike rate at Cork from 615 runs with an A/E of 0.77 while the jockey posts a 6% strike rate from 17 rides with an A/E of 0.68. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he will need to find significant improvement to get involved.
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6Good Bye Milan51/100
Good Bye Milan is a fair performer who has run twice at Cork without winning, finishing fourth on one occasion. He steps up in trip today having been placed without winning at this distance in the past, and his record on good ground reads one win from ten runs with four placed efforts. The trainer has a 7% strike rate from 45 runs at Cork with an A/E of 1.08 while the jockey operates at 9% from 344 rides with an A/E of 0.75. Usually held up.
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7Let Him B51/100
Let Him B is a useful performer who has shown his best this year when runner-up at Limerick in May and again when second at Killarney last month. He has been well held in three runs at Cork though and holds no strong record on good ground either. Dropping back in trip poses a fresh question while both trainer and jockey have modest strike rates at the track. Usually held up.
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8Teagarden Jazz49/100
Teagarden Jazz is a fair performer who has shown consistency at Cork with two placings from four starts here. He acts on good ground having been placed twice from 12 runs on it though he remains winless at this trip after two attempts and now steps up in distance again. The trainer has yet to strike at Cork from ten runners while the jockey has a solid 9% strike rate from eleven rides at the track. Usually held up.
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9Phoenix Cowboy48/100
Phoenix Cowboy is a fair performer who has shown his best at this track with a placing from two runs here. He drops back in trip today having last run over further and holds a solid placed record at the shorter distance though he is yet to win over it. The trainer has failed to strike at Cork from six runs while the jockey's modest 6% strike rate from 94 rides at the venue adds little encouragement. Usually held up.
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10Boomerang Breeze47/100
Boomerang Breeze is a fair performer on the balance of his ratings but recent form of 0970 is poor and he was well held when ninth on his only previous start at Cork. The trainer has a modest 3% strike rate here from a large sample while the jockey has a solid 10% record from 29 rides. Dropping back in trip is a fresh question for this lightly-raced 8-year-old. Usually held up.
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11Gortmore Lady43/100
Gortmore Lady is a fair performer who has been consistent enough without winning in recent starts. She has run just once at Cork and finished well beaten while the trainer's modest 2% strike rate at the track is another negative. First-time headgear is now fitted as she drops back in trip. Usually held up.
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12C'Mere Girleen41/100
C'Mere Girleen is a fair performer who has shown little in three runs to date, finishing well beaten on each occasion. The drop back in trip today asks a fresh question of her while the trainer's poor record at Cork offers no encouragement. Jockey has a solid track record here but this one remains largely unexposed. Usually races prominently.
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13Stily40/100
Stily is a fair performer who has been out of form for some time with four modest efforts since a pulled-up run. He has shown some ability on good ground and at this trip but his only run at Cork was a laboured sixth. The trainer has a poor record at the track while the jockey has a solid 7% strike rate here. Usually held up.
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14John Dixen40/100
John Dixen is a fair performer who has shown some consistency of late with placed efforts on his last two starts. He steps up in trip today which asks a fresh question while the trainer and jockey both have modest strike rates at Cork. Placed twice from three runs on good ground so the surface looks fine. Usually held up.
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15Ben Lomond37/100
Ben Lomond is a fair performer who has been consistent enough in recent starts without winning. He steps up in trip today having shown only modest form at this distance before, while first-time headgear is now added. The trainer has too small a sample at Cork to judge while the jockey has a 0% strike rate from 46 rides here. Usually held up.
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16Finnicky Filly35/100
Finnicky Filly is a modest performer with a long record of modest form and no win in 31 starts. She drops back in trip having been placed once at this distance without winning and has never shown any spark on good ground in six attempts. Trainer and jockey both have poor records at Cork and this looks another tough assignment. Usually held up.
KTB verdict
Our Girl Ellie is the KTB Selection. She is taken to step up in trip and return to the fair form she has shown on her better days, with the jockey's solid 11% strike rate at Cork from over 200 rides adding to the appeal. The uncontested lead should ensure a true test and her held-up style is well suited to picking up the pieces if the leader comes back to the field. Main dangers are Centreofattention, who brings recent consistency and first-time headgear, and Boola Times, who is the one to take advantage of the lone-leader pace shape up front. Synchronize and Duke Otto are next in the KTB Fit order but both need to show more than they have managed of late.
KTB Selection Our Girl Ellie
This is the narrative read of the 2:12 Cork. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Cork racecard. Every result we hold for the track is on the Cork results & records page. How favourites, trainers, jockeys and the draw have fared here over the last five years is on the Cork racecourse statistics page. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse is likely to take the uncontested lead?
Boola Times is the only confirmed front-runner and tends to make the running or race on the pace.
Why is trip suitability a significant factor in this race?
Multiple runners including Our Girl Ellie, Synchronize, Let Him B, Teagarden Jazz, Phoenix Cowboy, Boomerang Breeze, Gortmore Lady, John Dixen and Ben Lomond are either stepping up or dropping in trip for the first time or have limited experience at this exact distance.
How does the good ground affect the leading contenders?
Centreofattention has been placed twice from three runs on good, Boola Times has one win and two places from seven runs on good, while Our Girl Ellie, Duke Otto and several others have shown competitiveness without winning on the surface.
What does the trainer and jockey combination tell us about Centreofattention?
The trainer has an 8% strike rate at Cork from 199 runs while the jockey has a 17% strike rate from a small sample of six rides at the track.
Which horses are wearing first-time headgear?
Centreofattention, Gortmore Lady and Ben Lomond are all fitted with first-time headgear.
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