5:45 Cork
The 5:45 at Cork is a 2m1f60y maiden hurdle on good ground featuring a large field of 20, many of them lightly raced or with patchy form. KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, with My Poetic Queen heading the list on 58 despite limited recent activity, while several others sit in the mid-50s including two from the powerful Mullins yard. Most runners arrive without proven form on good ground or at the course, making the race one where trainer trends, headgear firsts and the ability to handle the trip will be key.
How the race shapes up
With a field this size and a mix of run-styles, the pace shape looks likely to be on the steady side early, as several hold-up types and prominent runners balance each other out. The key question will be which horses can quicken off what is expected to be a modest gallop, particularly those dropping in trip or stepping up markedly in distance. My Poetic Queen and others with placed form at this trip may look to conserve energy early before delivering, while the first-time headgear on multiple runners could influence how they settle in a big field.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1My Poetic Queen KTB Selection58/100Lightly raced mare with just one run in the last year so any assessment has to be tentative.
- 2Moja Dama56/100Moja Dama has shown ability in two starts, finishing third then winning over today's trip.
- 3Easter Bonnet56/100Easter Bonnet showed promise when winning over this trip on debut but has since pulled up and finished tailed off.
- 4Minella Post54/100Smart performer who has shown useful placed form at this trip on both starts over it.
- 5Cloonbonniffe52/100Cloonbonniffe has shown little in three starts so far with a string of modest efforts including a latest fourth that was still well beaten.
- 6Cosmos D'ainay51/100Cosmos D'ainay has shown useful form in bumpers and over hurdles, winning at this trip on good ground and finishing a respectable third on his most recent start…
- 7Alentejo50/100Alentejo has shown little in two bumper runs and a recent maiden hurdle, finishing well beaten on both starts over hurdles.
- 8Hinchinbrooke48/100Hinchinbrooke steps up markedly in trip from 1m2f to 2m1f and that asks a fresh question of a 4-year-old with 11 runs already on the board.
- 9Ballyminnion Boy48/100Ballyminnion Boy has shown little so far with two pulled-up efforts and two tailed-off finishes from just four career starts.
- 10Lastofthenatives44/100Limited form figures of 55P-P tell their own story and the yard's modest 5% strike rate at Cork from a big sample offers little encouragement.
- 11Boomerang Breeze44/100Boomerang Breeze has had just one run in the last year so the form picture is extremely thin.
- 12Magical Act42/100Magical Act has shown very little in two starts to date, finishing well beaten on both occasions.
- 13Carry On Star42/100Carry On Star has shown very little so far with four pulled-up efforts from just five career starts.
- 14It's All Clear41/100It's All Clear has shown fair placed form at this trip on both starts this year and remains lightly raced overall.
- 15Gc Star Speed41/100This debutant brings limited information beyond his pedigree and sales background.
- 16Trotters Traders41/100Trotters Traders makes his debut for a yard with a modest 3% strike-rate from 93 runs at Cork.
- 17Lucky Vick39/100Lucky Vick has shown little in three starts to date and was well held when fourth on his most recent outing.
- 18Pixie Hill39/100Pixie Hill has shown very little in two starts this year, finishing ninth on her most recent outing and pulling up before that.
- 19Epona Lady39/100Epona Lady is a newcomer with no racecourse experience.
- 20Quest With Copper38/100Quest With Copper has only one run in the last year so the form picture is thin and needs treating with caution.
The contenders
My Poetic Queen KTB Fit 58/100
My Poetic Queen is the KTB Selection in a race where many bring limited data. This lightly raced mare has had just one run in the last year, which makes any assessment tentative, and she was well held on her only attempt at this trip. Going suitability is impossible to gauge from such a small sample as she has no runs on good. Patrick Downey has an 8% strike rate at Cork from 12 runs with an A/E of 1.51, while Ricky Doyle operates at 8% from 158 rides here with an A/E of 1.18. She has no course form on record and her overall profile remains one that requires a leap of faith.
Moja Dama KTB Fit 56/100
Moja Dama has shown ability in two starts, finishing third then winning over today's trip. The yard's strong 30% strike rate at Cork from 630 runs is a clear plus, though the jockey John Shinnick is operating at a more modest 9% here from 68 rides with an A/E of 1.06. First-time headgear is now added to a lightly-raced profile where going suitability remains unknown as she has no runs on good. She has no course form on record. The combination of prior success at the trip and the powerful stable makes her a major player despite the modest trainer-jockey record when teaming up.
Easter Bonnet KTB Fit 56/100
Easter Bonnet showed promise when winning over this trip on debut but has since pulled up and finished tailed off. The small sample of just three runs makes it hard to gauge her true level or how she handles good ground as she has no runs on it. Mullins has a solid 30% strike rate at Cork from 630 runs with an A/E of 0.92, while Brian Hayes records an 8% strike rate here from 264 rides with an A/E of 0.91. She has no course form on record. Recent efforts raise questions but the yard's local record keeps her firmly in the mix.
Minella Post KTB Fit 54/100
Minella Post is a smart performer who has shown useful placed form at this trip on both starts over it. He drops back from 2m3½f today while wearing first-time headgear and brings the strongest class read in the field. The trainer has a solid 10% strike rate from 63 runs at Cork with an A/E of 0.86, while Harry Sexton rides at 6% from 18 rides here with an A/E of 1.08. He has no course form on record and the lightly-raced profile leaves going preference still unclear as he has no runs on good. His placed efforts at the trip mark him out as a leading contender.
Cloonbonniffe KTB Fit 52/100
Cloonbonniffe has shown little in three starts so far with a string of modest efforts including a latest fourth that was still well beaten. The drop back from 2m4f to today's trip asks a fresh question while first-time headgear is also tried. Trainer Mark Michael McNiff has a 7% strike rate at Cork from 41 runs with an A/E of 1.13, while Richard Deegan operates at 6% from 122 rides here with an A/E of 0.91. He has one run on good with no win or place and no course form on record. The overall picture remains very limited on this low-confidence profile.
The rest of the field
Cosmos D'ainayKTB Fit 51/100
Cosmos D'ainay has shown useful form in bumpers and over hurdles, winning at this trip on good ground and finishing a respectable third on his most recent start. He is lightly raced with only five career runs and remains open to improvement. Gordon Elliott has a 14% strike rate from 539 runs at Cork with an A/E of 0.79, while Jack Kennedy matches that 14% from 190 rides here with an A/E of 0.74. He has one win from three on good with two placed and no course form on record.
AlentejoKTB Fit 50/100
Alentejo has shown little in two bumper runs and a recent maiden hurdle, finishing well beaten on both starts over hurdles. The first-time headgear is an obvious attempt to spark improvement but he remains largely unexposed after just five career runs. Trainer and jockey both have modest records at Cork, the yard at 7% from 41 runs with an A/E of 1.13 and Phillip Enright at 8% from 680 rides with an A/E of 0.92. He has two runs on good with no win or place and no course form on record.
HinchinbrookeKTB Fit 48/100
Hinchinbrooke steps up markedly in trip from 1m2f to 2m1f and that asks a fresh question of a 4-year-old with 11 runs already on the board. He has shown enough on good ground to be competitive at this level without winning, placing once from three starts. The yard has no previous runners here while Simon Torrens operates at a 5% strike rate from 137 Cork rides with an A/E of 0.59. He has no course form on record.
Ballyminnion BoyKTB Fit 48/100
Ballyminnion Boy has shown little so far with two pulled-up efforts and two tailed-off finishes from just four career starts. The yard posts a 5% strike rate at Cork from 115 runs with an A/E of 0.91 while the jockey is 4% from 104 rides here with an A/E of 0.73. He has one run on good with no win or place and no course form on record. Data confidence is low given the small sample and he remains hard to assess.
LastofthenativesKTB Fit 44/100
Limited form figures of 55P-P tell their own story and the yard's modest 5% strike rate at Cork from 372 runs with an A/E of 0.61 offers little encouragement. He drops back in trip today having only raced once in the last year so this looks more like a watching brief than a serious contender. Alan O'Sullivan rides at 9% from 45 Cork rides with an A/E of 0.8. He has one run on good with no win or place and no course form on record.
Boomerang BreezeKTB Fit 44/100
Boomerang Breeze has had just one run in the last year so the form picture is extremely thin. The yard's record at Cork is poor at 3% from 394 runs with an A/E of 0.4 while the jockey has a more respectable 7% strike rate here from 71 rides with an A/E of 1.03. Dropping back in trip poses a fresh question for this lightly raced 8 year old. He has one run on good with no win or place and no course form on record.
Magical ActKTB Fit 42/100
Magical Act has shown very little in two starts to date, finishing well beaten on both occasions. The drop back in trip is an unknown and the yard's poor record at Cork offers no encouragement at 3% from 211 runs with an A/E of 0.48. Gavin Brouder has a solid 7% strike rate here from 57 rides with an A/E of 1.15 but that is the only positive in a very thin profile. He has two runs on good with no win or place and no course form on record.
Carry On StarKTB Fit 42/100
Carry On Star has shown very little so far with four pulled-up efforts from just five career starts. The yard has sent out too few runners at Cork to form any reliable view while the jockey's modest 7% strike rate from 89 rides here with an A/E of 0.79 offers no particular encouragement. He has no runs on good and ran once here when pulled up. Lightly raced with a small sample overall so this one has to be treated with real caution.
It's All ClearKTB Fit 41/100
It's All Clear has shown fair placed form at this trip on both starts this year and remains lightly raced overall. The first-time headgear is an interesting addition given the modest recent efforts. Trainer and jockey records at Cork are both poor, the yard at 0% from 18 runs and Ryan Treacy at 1% from 114 rides with an A/E of 0.23. He has placed once from one run on good and no course form on record.
Gc Star SpeedKTB Fit 41/100
This debutant brings limited information beyond his pedigree and sales background. The trainer has yet to land a winner from 24 runners at Cork while the jockey operates at a 4% strike rate here from 74 rides with an A/E of 0.66. With no racecourse evidence and low data confidence the horse is impossible to assess with any certainty. He has no course win on record.
Trotters TradersKTB Fit 41/100
Trotters Traders makes his debut for a yard with a modest 3% strike-rate from 93 runs at Cork with an A/E of 0.52. The jockey is similarly quiet here with a 4% record from 92 rides with an A/E of 0.63. With no racecourse form to go on and low data confidence the assessment rests entirely on his sales and pedigree background. He has no course win on record.
Lucky VickKTB Fit 39/100
Lucky Vick has shown little in three starts to date and was well held when fourth on his most recent outing. He has already tried this trip without success and was well beaten on his only visit to Cork when ninth. First-time headgear is now fitted but with the yard at 0% from 35 runs at Cork and the jockey also at 0% from four rides the overall picture remains modest. He has no runs on good.
Pixie HillKTB Fit 39/100
Pixie Hill has shown very little in two starts this year, finishing ninth on her most recent outing and pulling up before that. The trainer holds a 0% strike rate from eight runs at Cork while the jockey is also 0% from eleven rides here. With only two career runs and a small sample at this trip the form is hard to assess with any confidence. She has no runs on good and no course form on record.
Epona LadyKTB Fit 39/100
Epona Lady is a newcomer with no racecourse experience. The trainer has a modest 3% strike rate from 118 runs at Cork with an A/E of 0.54. The jockey has had too few rides at the track to draw any conclusions. She has no course win on record.
Quest With CopperKTB Fit 38/100
Quest With Copper has only one run in the last year so the form picture is thin and needs treating with caution. The yard posts a modest 3% strike rate at Cork from 211 runs with an A/E of 0.48 while Paddy Hanlon is still seeking his first winner from nine rides here. He has been tried over today's trip without success and the going remains an unknown on such limited evidence. He has one run on good with no win or place and no course form on record.
KTB verdict
My Poetic Queen is the KTB Selection at the head of a very open-looking maiden where several runners bring more unknowns than hard facts. Her position at the top of the Fit rankings reflects a profile that, while tentative after limited racing, edges out the others when all the supplied KTB reads are balanced. The strongest dangers are likely to come from Moja Dama, whose win at the trip and powerful yard record command respect, and Minella Post, who brings the best class read plus useful placed form at this distance. Easter Bonnet and Cosmos D'ainay add further depth, but the race is likely to be decided by which of these can best handle the good ground and the demands of a big-field maiden.
KTB Selection My Poetic Queen
This is the narrative read of the 5:45 Cork. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Cork racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the strongest class read according to KTB?
Minella Post brings the strongest class read in the field on the back of useful placed form at this trip.
How many runners are wearing first-time headgear?
First-time headgear is worn by Moja Dama, Minella Post, Cloonbonniffe, Alentejo, It's All Clear and Lucky Vick.
Which trainer has the highest strike rate at Cork in this race?
W P Mullins has a 30% strike rate at Cork from 630 runs.
Which horse has previously won over today's trip on good ground?
Cosmos D'ainay won at this trip on good ground.
How many of the principals have no runs on good ground?
My Poetic Queen, Moja Dama, Easter Bonnet and Minella Post have no runs on good.
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