1:40 Cork
The Paddy Power 'I Still Call It Twitter' Handicap Hurdle at Cork brings together a field of 15 for this 2m4f contest on yielding ground. It is a competitive handicap featuring several smart performers on official ratings, though recent form is mixed across the group and a number of runners have questions to answer regarding trip, ground or course. The KTB Fit scores identify West Away as the clear top pick on 80, with Arion Soldier, In For The Night, Feud and Mount Ferns completing the principals in a race that looks set to ask plenty of questions.
How the race shapes up
With a genuinely-run pace shape and high confidence, a front-runner is expected to be pressed by several handy types from the outset. Feud is likely to take them along, with prominent runners such as Mount Ferns, Take The Free, Tir Og and Where Are You Now all capable of sitting close to the speed. The mid-division brigade, including West Away, Arion Soldier, In For The Night and Buddy Holly, should be well placed to launch efforts as the race develops. The key question is whether the early pace will prove testing enough on this yielding surface to sort out the field in a fair examination.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1West Away KTB Selection80/100
West Away is a smart performer who has won at this track and over today's trip. His recent form of 6-3132 is solid, featuring two placed efforts in his last three starts, and he arrives with a KTB Fit score of 80. The eight-year-old typically settles in midfield and will look to make his move from that position in what is set to be a genuinely-run race. He has been competitive on yielding ground without winning and holds a strong course record having scored here from two starts. The trainer's 17% strike rate at Cork from 12 runs stands out positively while the jockey operates at 8% here from 12 rides.
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2Arion Soldier69/100
Arion Soldier is a smart performer who won on his only previous start at Cork. He drops back from 3m to today's untried 2m4f trip, which poses a fresh question, and carries a KTB Fit score of 69. The eight-year-old usually settles in midfield and will be well positioned to deliver his effort once the pace intensifies. He showed nothing on his sole run on yielding ground and the family line notes that the dam has had one other runner, which did not win. The trainer's 8% strike rate at Cork from 24 runs is above his record elsewhere, while the jockey's 7% strike rate at the track aligns with his overall figure.
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3In For The Night64/100
In For The Night is a smart performer who arrives in decent nick after a win and a placed effort in his last three starts, as shown by his recent form of 08-713. He has won over today's trip and has placed three times from seven runs on yielding ground, with a KTB Fit score of 64. The eight-year-old typically settles in midfield with high confidence in that assessment and should be suited by the genuinely-run pace. He has no course form on record at Cork. Both the trainer and jockey operate at 10% and 6% strike rates at the track respectively, figures that sit in line with their records elsewhere.
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4Feud57/100
Feud is a high-class performer on his official rating of 120 and overall history yet arrives with a patchy recent record of 0F-503 and a KTB Fit score of 57. He makes his first appearance at Cork today and has shown only modest form on yielding ground from two previous attempts. The six-year-old tends to make the running or race on the pace and is therefore set to take a prominent role in what is expected to be a strong early gallop. The trip looks suitable given a placed effort at this distance. The yard's 4% strike rate at Cork from 74 runs is in line with their record elsewhere, while the jockey brings a 10% strike rate at the track from 398 rides.
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5Mount Ferns56/100
Mount Ferns is a useful performer on official ratings but has struggled to show that level of form lately, with a patchy recent record of P3F-P7 and a KTB Fit score of 56. He has been well beaten in both runs at Cork and showed nothing on his only start on yielding ground. The eight-year-old usually races handily on or close to the lead and will be prominent in a race that looks likely to be run at a genuine pace. The step up to this trip is an unknown. The trainer and jockey record 6% and 9% strike rates at the track that sit in line with their figures elsewhere.
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6Galavanting George55/100
Galavanting George is a smart performer who has shown useful form in defeat this season yet has failed to finish in two of his last three starts, as reflected in his recent form of 432F-F and KTB Fit score of 55. He has already been tried over this trip without success and steps up again today while his only run at Cork ended in a fall. The yard and jockey both operate at their usual level here on yielding ground.
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7Take The Free53/100
Take The Free is a smart performer who has already won at this trip. He has twice run below form at Cork itself and the yard's modest 8% strike rate here is below their record elsewhere, though the jockey brings a 22% strike rate at the track. The family line notes he is a full brother to That's Nice, who has four wins from 13 runs.
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8Better Times50/100
Better Times is a smart performer who arrives in modest recent form after a fall and three pulled-up efforts, as shown by his recent form of U-4789. He drops back from 3m to a trip he has tried five times without success and has failed to place in three runs on yielding ground. The trainer has only one run at Cork while the jockey has no recorded rides here.
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9The Friday Man49/100
The Friday Man is a smart performer on his day with a win at this trip from nine attempts and two placed efforts from five starts on yielding ground. He arrives off the back of a modest ninth last time and makes his first appearance at Cork today. The trainer’s 0% strike rate from 39 runs here sits in line with his modest 4% elsewhere while the jockey has had only one ride at the track.
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10Black Bamboo48/100
Black Bamboo is a smart performer who won on his only previous start at Cork and has a win at today's trip. He has been out of sorts this year with a string of poor efforts including on his latest start, though the first-time headgear is now tried. The trainer's 3% strike rate at Cork is below his record elsewhere while the jockey's 3% strike rate at the track is in line with his figure at other courses.
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11Who's Da Goose46/100
Who's Da Goose is a useful performer who has shown steady improvement and landed a win at today's trip last time out. He showed only modest form on his one previous run at Cork though and the yard's 5% strike rate at the track is in line with their record elsewhere. The jockey is still seeking a first win from seven rides here. The family line notes that the dam has had one other runner, which did not win.
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12Tir Og45/100
Tir Og is a smart performer on his best days with a solid official rating of 107 and a career total of 22 runs that includes a win on yielding ground from one attempt. He has been out of the frame on his last four starts and was well held when he ran here once before. The drop back in trip today from 2m6½f poses a fresh question while the trainer has only a small sample at Cork and the jockey is still seeking a first winner from 16 rides at the track.
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13Buddy Holly45/100
Buddy Holly is a smart performer who showed useful form when placed over this trip on his third start. He has failed to build on that in two runs since, finishing only eighth on his most recent outing. The trainer records a 6% strike rate at Cork from 341 runs in line with his overall figure while the jockey is 0 from 20 at the track in line with his 7% elsewhere. The family line notes that the dam has had one other runner, which did not win.
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14Where Are You Now45/100
Where Are You Now is a useful performer who has shown some ability on both starts at Cork without managing to place. Recent form has been patchy and the yard's 3% strike rate at the track is in line with their record elsewhere. The jockey has an 8% strike rate here which is above his rate at other courses while the horse has limited experience on yielding ground.
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15Man Down34/100
Man Down is a useful performer on official ratings yet his recent form of 4P0679 makes for modest reading and he has had only four career runs in the last year. The trainer is 0% from 29 runs at Cork in line with his 6% at other tracks while the jockey is 0% from 25 rides at the course in line with his 3% elsewhere. He steps up in trip today to an untried 2m4f which asks a fresh question and the dam has had three other runners without a winner.
KTB verdict
West Away stands out as the KTB Selection. He is a smart performer with a win at this track and over today's trip, and his recent form is the most consistent of the principals with two placed efforts in his last three starts. The drop back from 2m6f asks a question but he is expected to settle comfortably in midfield before delivering his effort in a genuinely-run race. His main dangers are likely to come from Arion Soldier, who won on his only previous start at Cork, and In For The Night, who arrives in decent nick with a win over the trip and a good record on yielding ground. Feud could set the fractions up front and Mount Ferns is another who will be prominent.
KTB Selection West Away
Early prices
The best price per runner across the bookmakers we track, each as first seen (UK time). Every runner had a price by 12:03am, 1 Nov. Prices move — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Early price | Bookmaker, time |
|---|---|---|
| West Away | 11/4 | Bet Victor, 12:03am |
| Arion Soldier | 50/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| In For The Night | 6/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Feud | 8/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Mount Ferns | 20/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Galavanting George | 13/2 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Take The Free | 12/1 | William Hill, 12:03am |
| Better Times | 18/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| The Friday Man | 66/1 | Betfred, 12:03am |
| Black Bamboo | 40/1 | Betfred, 12:03am |
| Who's Da Goose | 11/4 | BetTom, 12:03am |
| Tir Og | 16/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Buddy Holly | 20/1 | Bet365, 12:03am |
| Where Are You Now | 40/1 | Star Sports, 12:03am |
| Man Down | 22/1 | BetTom, 12:03am |
This is the narrative read of the 1:40 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 has the highest KTB Fit score and is the selection?
West Away with a KTB Fit score of 80.
How many principals have course wins at Cork?
Two: West Away and Arion Soldier.
Which runner is making its debut at Cork with first-time headgear?
Black Bamboo.
Which horse won on its only previous run at Cork and is dropping back from 3m?
Arion Soldier.
Who is the only runner with a placed record on yielding ground from seven starts?
In For The Night.
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