4:40 Cork
This 6f maiden at Cork on good to yielding ground features a field of 17 three-year-olds with limited experience and few established form lines. The KTB Fit ratings are modest across the board, headed by She's Too Kool on 64, with the remainder tightly bunched between 53 and 37, underlining the open nature of the contest. With no obvious leader in a steadily-run, tactical affair, the race is likely to reward those who can be positioned handily and produce their effort at the right time.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape lacks a clear leader, pointing to a steadily-run race where being handy should pay dividends. Most principals are held-up types who will be looking to come from off the pace, which could leave the race vulnerable to anything that can secure a prominent position early. The key question is whether the lack of early speed allows one of the more experienced runners to dictate terms or if the closers can time their runs effectively in a tactical contest.
The KTB Fit ranking
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1She's Too Kool KTB Selection64/100
She's Too Kool is a fair performer who has shown ordinary form at best on her last three starts, with recent figures of 64-504. She drops back to 6f today having failed to win in four previous attempts at the trip and she is unproven on good to yielding ground. The trainer has a 9% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.36 from 22 runs while the jockey operates at 8% with an A/E of 1.27 from 12 rides. Usually held up and producing her effort late, she will need to time her run well in a steadily-run affair. The market will take a view in a field of 17.
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2Saint Agatha53/100
Saint Agatha is a modest filly who has shown little since a promising debut second over this trip last year, with recent form figures of 28-30. She drops back from 7f with first-time headgear on, which could help given her tendency to race freely. The trainer has a 14% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.05 from 130 runs while the jockey is on 8% with an A/E of 0.7 from 172 rides. Usually held up and producing her effort late, she has been placed once on good to yielding ground. This looks a stiff task on recent evidence.
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3Otsana51/100
Otsana has only a single run to her name, a modest fifth on debut over 7f, so the form must be treated with caution. She now drops back to an untried 6f trip which poses a fresh question. The yard has a strong 33% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.18 from 104 runs while Lee is a solid 15% operator at the track with an A/E of 1.03 from 636 rides. Usually held up and producing her effort late on limited evidence, she remains an unknown quantity. The trainer and jockey combination of 27% from 655 runners adds further interest.
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4Grande Cuvee50/100
Grande Cuvee is a modest performer who has shown some ability in three starts, finishing third on his most recent outing with form figures of 932. He steps up from 5f to 6f today for the first time since an unsuccessful try at the trip, which asks a fresh question of him. The trainer has a solid 14% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.05 from 130 runs while the jockey operates at 9% with an A/E of 0.75 from 671 rides. Usually held up and producing his effort late, he will need the race to unfold favourably. The combination of 13% from 134 runners for trainer and jockey is respectable.
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5Inform48/100
Inform is the first foal of a modest maiden who is a half-sister to a couple of winners. Lyons and Keane team up on debut and both hold solid records at Cork, with the trainer on 18% and an A/E of 0.94 from 358 runs while the jockey is on 15% with an A/E of 0.85 from 472 rides. With no racecourse evidence to go on the picture remains very open. By Oasis Dream, whose progeny have a 12% win rate overall, he represents a yard and rider combination of 20% from 3520 runners. The lack of experience makes him hard to assess but the connections demand respect.
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6Keogie46/100
Keogie is a modest performer who has shown some ability in four starts, finishing placed twice at this trip. He steps up from 5f today having been placed without winning in both runs at 6f. The trainer has a solid 15% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.84 from 559 runs while the jockey is less effective here at 4% with an A/E of 0.51 from 49 rides. Typically settling in midfield, he is unproven on good to yielding ground.
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7Spinola Bear46/100
Spinola Bear has shown very little in two starts to date, finishing seventh on debut and then last of seven last time. The drop back to 6f is an unknown and the wide draw in stall 16 is no help on this track. Both trainer and jockey have modest records at Cork, the yard at 7% with an A/E of 0.79 from 90 runs and the rider at 9% with an A/E of 0.97 from 371 rides. Usually held up, he remains low on confidence.
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8Spider Star45/100
Spider Star is a debutant with no racecourse form to go on. The yard has a modest 6% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.67 from 162 runs while Slattery is a bit better on 8% with an A/E of 0.88 from 215 rides. Pedigree and sales background will have to carry the assessment given the low data confidence.
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9Feel Happy45/100
Feel Happy is a modest performer who has shown ordinary form in three starts, finishing fourth on this track last time without looking progressive. First-time headgear is now applied and the trip looks about right, though the wide draw in stall 17 is a clear negative from a big field. The trainer has a 10% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.66 from 67 runs while the jockey is operating at 3% with an A/E of 0.59 from 59 rides. Usually held up, he has course form but no win or place.
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10Faithful Ardad44/100
Faithful Ardad is a debutant with no racecourse experience. The pedigree and sales background are the only clues available, though the low data confidence means any read on ability is tentative. Cotter has a modest 7% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.79 from 90 runs while McDonogh sits on a 9% strike rate with an A/E of 0.71 from over 600 rides here.
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11Noble Irish44/100
Noble Irish is a first-time runner from the powerful Aidan O'Brien yard, which has a solid 22% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.89 from 662 runs. The jockey Wayne Lordan is no stranger to the track either, though his 10% strike rate with an A/E of 0.8 from 654 rides is more modest. With no racecourse form to go on the pedigree and sales background will be key here, but data confidence remains low for this debutant.
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12Carry The Dream43/100
Carry The Dream showed little on debut when finishing eighth over a mile. Dropping back to 6f today asks a fresh question of this lightly raced 3-year-old. Both trainer and jockey have modest strike rates at Cork, the yard at 4% with an A/E of 0.56 from 46 runs and the rider at 7% with an A/E of 0.74 from 336 rides. Usually held up on limited evidence, he is unproven on good to yielding ground.
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13Hurleys Hill42/100
Hurleys Hill has only one run on the board so the form picture remains thin and any judgement has to be cautious. The trainer operates at a 7% strike rate with an A/E of 0.77 from 609 runs at Cork while the claiming jockey is on a 2% strike rate with an A/E of 0.51 from 45 rides here. Dropping back from 7f to an untried 6f poses a fresh question.
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14Lilli's Angel42/100
Lilli's Angel has shown very little in two starts so far, finishing ninth and eighth. The drop back to 6f raises a fresh question while the wide draw in stall 15 is another negative. Both trainer and jockey have modest records at Cork, the yard at 6% with an A/E of 0.76 from 16 runs and the rider at 4% with an A/E of 0.55 from 50 rides. Usually held up on limited evidence, he is unproven on good to yielding ground.
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15Haroussa42/100
Haroussa has shown little in two starts so far, finishing ninth then fifth. The drop back to 6f poses a fresh question having last run over 7½f. Trainer and jockey both have modest records at Cork with respective strike rates of 9% with an A/E of 0.67 from 243 runs and 6% with an A/E of 0.47 from 225 rides. Usually held up, he remains modest on the evidence so far.
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16Red Dahlia41/100
Red Dahlia is a newcomer with no racecourse experience. The yard's record with debutants at Cork is modest at 3% with an A/E of 0.45 from 619 runs while Shane Foley has a fair 9% strike rate with an A/E of 0.7 from 535 rides at the track. Pedigree and sales background will carry most weight here given the low data confidence.
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17Optics37/100
Optics is a modest performer who has shown little in three starts to date. He ran no better than seventh on his only visit to Cork and steps up in trip today having failed to trouble the judge over this distance on his previous attempt. The trainer has had only one runner at the track so far with a 0% strike rate while the jockey maintains a modest 6% strike rate with an A/E of 0.92 from 156 rides. Usually held up, he has course form but no win or place.
KTB verdict
She's Too Kool is the KTB Selection and sets a fair standard on her best efforts despite showing ordinary form at best on her last three starts. She has the benefit of experience over several of her rivals and the trainer-jockey combination, while modest at Cork, still offers some encouragement. The main dangers are the well-connected debutants Inform from the Lyons yard and Noble Irish from Aidan O'Brien, along with Otsana who represents a yard in strong form at the track. The race is tactical given the lack of pace on paper, so run style and draw could prove decisive in what remains an open maiden.
KTB Selection She's Too Kool
This is the narrative read of the 4:40 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. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Why is She's Too Kool the selection despite being unproven on good to yielding ground?
She's Too Kool is a fair performer who sets a fair standard on her best efforts and is the top-rated on KTB Fit at 64, outweighing the unproven ground factor in an open contest.
How might the lack of an obvious leader affect the race?
The pace shape lacks a leader and points to a steadily-run, tactical affair where being handy pays, potentially benefiting those who can secure a prominent position early.
What is the significance of first-time headgear for Saint Agatha and Feel Happy?
First-time headgear is applied to Saint Agatha, who has a tendency to race freely, and to Feel Happy, who showed ordinary form without progressing last time.
Which trainers have the strongest strike rates at Cork in this field?
P Twomey has a 33% strike rate at Cork, A P O'Brien has 22%, G M Lyons has 18%, and J A Stack has 14%.
Which runners are making their debut in this race?
Inform, Spider Star, Faithful Ardad, Noble Irish and Red Dahlia are all making their racecourse debuts.
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