6:50 Cork
This 2m4f mares handicap hurdle at Cork on good ground brings together an 18-strong field where the KTB numbers highlight a clutch of smart performers near the top of the weights. The principals are closely matched on Fit scores ranging from 64 down to 58, with several bringing course-winning form or placed efforts at the venue while others step up or down in trip. First-time headgear appears on a number of runners and will be an unknown factor, while the trainer and jockey strike rates at Cork vary markedly across the card.
How the race shapes up
The race-level pace shape suggests a truly-run affair with a mix of prominent racers and hold-up types likely to be involved. Somersby Roost and Arctic Flame are both capable of racing prominently, while Surfin Usa and Brosna Queen can also take a hand in the early fractions. The key question is whether the drop back in trip for a few of the principals will allow them to travel strongly enough to be on the premises when the race begins in earnest from the home turn.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Somersby Roost KTB Selection64/100Smart performer who won over this trip here last year and has solid placed form at a higher level.
- 2Arctic Flame63/100Smart performer who has already shown his liking for this track when finishing third here on his only visit.
- 3Surfin Usa62/100Smart performer who showed useful ability when winning over further at this track on good ground last time.
- 4Brosna Queen59/100Smart performer who arrives in form after a recent win at this trip on good ground.
- 5Glitz And Glamour58/100Useful mare who showed smart form when winning here over two miles last year before a couple of lesser efforts.
- 6Preparations55/100Smart performer who showed useful form when winning over shorter last season.
- 7Early Bird53/100Smart performer who showed useful form when winning at this track last season and has placed over today's trip.
- 8Bossy Bird52/100Useful performer who shaped well when a close fourth at this track on return from a break.
- 9Costanuci51/100Costanuci is a useful performer who has won three times at this trip from 15 attempts and also holds a solid record on good ground with two wins and four places…
- 10Diamond Tipp51/100Diamond Tipp is a useful performer who has shown consistent placed form this year but has failed to build on it of late and was well held on his latest start.
- 11Loughrask Jet51/100Loughrask Jet is a fair performer who has shown little spark in six runs, finishing no closer than seventh on his latest start.
- 12Felicity Smoak45/100Useful performer who has shown competitive form on good ground but remains winless after 15 runs.
- 13Tudorista44/100Tudorista has shown fair form without winning in five starts and looks to have reached his limit at shorter trips.
- 14Lakewood Rose43/100Lakewood Rose is a useful performer who has shown some consistency of late with a pair of placed efforts this year.
- 15Ellens Pride42/100Ellens Pride is a fair sort who showed useful promise when winning at this track last year before two lesser runs this spring.
- 16Ballinearla Girl41/100Fair mare who has shown some ability at this trip without winning.
- 17Evelyn38/100Evelyn is a useful performer on her best days but has been largely out of form this season and showed little spark when pulled up last time.
- 18Liss Eile33/100Liss Eile is a fair performer who has shown little spark this year, finishing well beaten on all four starts since returning from a break.
The contenders
Somersby Roost KTB Fit 64/100
Somersby Roost is a smart performer who won over this trip here last year and has solid placed form at a higher level. Dropping back from 2m7f looks a sensible move and the good ground suits having won on it. First-time headgear is the unknown. Oliver McKiernan has a 10% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.05 from 83 runs while Phillip Enright operates at 8% with an A/E of 0.92 from 680 rides at the track. The horse has recorded 1 win from 1 on good and has won here from 2 starts.
Arctic Flame KTB Fit 63/100
Arctic Flame is a smart performer who has already shown his liking for this track when finishing third here on his only visit. He has placed twice at today's trip and holds a solid record on good ground, though the first-time headgear is an unknown. Patrick T Foley has a 10% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.15 from 40 runs while Simon Torrens is on 5% with an A/E of 0.59 from 137 rides here. The horse has 1 win from 4 on good with 3 placed efforts and has been placed once from 1 run at the course.
Surfin Usa KTB Fit 62/100
Surfin Usa is a smart performer who showed useful ability when winning over further at this track on good ground last time. Dropping back to 2m4f asks a fresh question having been placed but not won at the trip previously. W P Mullins has a strong 30% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.92 from 630 runs while Brian Hayes records a more modest 8% with an A/E of 0.91 from 264 rides. The horse has 1 win from 1 on good with 1 placed effort.
Brosna Queen KTB Fit 59/100
Brosna Queen is a smart performer who arrives in form after a recent win at this trip on good ground. Course debut is neutral given the small overall sample and the trainer has only had one runner here so far. S G Carey has a 0% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0 from 1 run while Ricky Doyle has a solid record with 8% and an A/E of 1.18 from 158 rides. The horse has 1 win from 2 on good with 1 placed effort.
Glitz And Glamour KTB Fit 58/100
Glitz And Glamour is a useful mare who showed smart form when winning here over two miles last year before a couple of lesser efforts. Has not built on that promise this season and was pulled up on her latest start. E McNamara has a modest 6% strike-rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.81 from 339 runs but Peter Smithers has a strong 25% record at the track from a small sample of 12 rides with an A/E of 1.49. The horse has 1 win from 3 on good with 2 placed efforts.
The rest of the field
PreparationsKTB Fit 55/100
Preparations is a smart performer who showed useful form when winning over shorter last season. Steps up markedly in trip today for a yard with a modest 8% strike rate at Cork while the claiming jockey is still seeking a first win from 20 rides here. Good ground looks fine on his record with 1 win from 6 and 3 placed efforts.
Early BirdKTB Fit 53/100
Early Bird is a smart performer who showed useful form when winning at this track last season and has placed over today's trip. Drops back from 2m6½f with first-time headgear now fitted while the yard's modest 7% strike rate at Cork is a negative. Jockey has a solid 9% record here from 45 rides. The horse is unproven on good ground.
Bossy BirdKTB Fit 52/100
Bossy Bird is a useful performer who shaped well when a close fourth at this track on return from a break. Drops back in trip to a distance at which he has placed once in three starts and first-time headgear is now applied. Trainer has a solid 10% strike-rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.86 from 63 runs while the jockey's 6% record from 18 rides here also reads respectably. The horse has 1 run on good with no win or place.
CostanuciKTB Fit 51/100
Costanuci is a useful performer who has won three times at this trip from 15 attempts and also holds a solid record on good ground with two wins and four places from seven starts. He has been out of form this year with recent efforts reading P45P-8 and his two runs at Cork have produced a fourth and a ninth without placing. The trainer holds a 7% strike rate from 45 runs at the track while the jockey has only one ride here so far.
Diamond TippKTB Fit 51/100
Diamond Tipp is a useful performer who has shown consistent placed form this year but has failed to build on it of late and was well held on his latest start. He steps up in trip for the first time today having looked stretched at 2m last time, while the first-time headgear is another unknown. The trainer's modest record at Cork is a negative though the jockey has a solid strike rate here. The horse has 1 win from 7 on good with 4 placed efforts.
Loughrask JetKTB Fit 51/100
Loughrask Jet is a fair performer who has shown little spark in six runs, finishing no closer than seventh on his latest start. He has been well held both times at Cork and remains winless at this trip after six attempts. The trainer has a modest 7% strike rate here while the jockey is operating at 4%. The horse is unproven on good ground.
Felicity SmoakKTB Fit 45/100
Felicity Smoak is a useful performer who has shown competitive form on good ground but remains winless after 15 runs. Stepping up markedly in trip today poses a fresh question having last been seen over 1m5f. Trainer holds a modest 8% strike rate at Cork from a large sample while the jockey has had too few rides here to judge. The horse has placed once from 6 runs on good.
TudoristaKTB Fit 44/100
Tudorista has shown fair form without winning in five starts and looks to have reached his limit at shorter trips. He steps up to 2m4f for the first time today which asks a fresh question. The yard has a 9 percent strike rate at Cork from 308 runs while jockey Cian Quirke is 8 percent from 78 rides here. The horse has 3 runs on good with no win or place.
Lakewood RoseKTB Fit 43/100
Lakewood Rose is a useful performer who has shown some consistency of late with a pair of placed efforts this year. She has twice run respectably over this trip without winning and has posted two solid efforts at Cork itself though without troubling the judge. The yard and jockey each have only a tiny sample at the track and her sole run on good ground was unplaced.
Ellens PrideKTB Fit 42/100
Ellens Pride is a fair sort who showed useful promise when winning at this track last year before two lesser runs this spring. She steps up in trip now having looked stretched at around 2m1f last time and her sole previous attempt at this distance brought no joy. Trainer and jockey both have modest strike rates at Cork. The horse has 3 runs on good with no win or place.
Ballinearla GirlKTB Fit 41/100
Ballinearla Girl is a fair mare who has shown some ability at this trip without winning. She has been well held in both runs at Cork and is 0-4 on good ground, while the first-time headgear is an unknown. Trainer and jockey both have modest strike rates at the track.
EvelynKTB Fit 38/100
Evelyn is a useful performer on her best days but has been largely out of form this season and showed little spark when pulled up last time. She has never won or placed in three runs at Cork, three starts at this trip or five outings on good ground. First-time headgear is reached for while both trainer and jockey have modest strike rates at the track.
Liss EileKTB Fit 33/100
Liss Eile is a fair performer who has shown little spark this year, finishing well beaten on all four starts since returning from a break. He has no win or place from seven runs on good ground and steps up in trip today having achieved nothing at this distance before. First-time headgear is tried but the yard's modest record at Cork offers little encouragement.
KTB verdict
Somersby Roost is the KTB Selection. He brings strong course form having won over this trip here last year, drops back from 2m7f on a surface that suits, and has placed at a higher level. The first-time headgear adds an element of unknown but the overall profile fits well. Main dangers are Arctic Flame, who has shown his liking for the track, and Surfin Usa who brings a recent course win on good ground though the drop back in trip is a question. Brosna Queen arrives in form and Glitz And Glamour has course-winning ability to call upon if she can rediscover her best.
KTB Selection Somersby Roost
This is the narrative read of the 6:50 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 won over this trip at Cork last year?
Somersby Roost won over this trip here last year.
What is W P Mullins's strike rate at Cork?
W P Mullins has a 30% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 0.92 from 630 runs.
Which runners are wearing first-time headgear?
Somersby Roost, Arctic Flame, Early Bird, Bossy Bird, Diamond Tipp, Ballinearla Girl, Evelyn and Liss Eile are all wearing first-time headgear.
Which horse has the strongest jockey record at Cork among the principals?
Peter Smithers has a 25% strike rate at Cork with an A/E of 1.49 from 12 rides.
How many runs has Loughrask Jet had at this trip without winning?
Loughrask Jet remains winless at this trip after six attempts.
18+. Analysis and entertainment only — no guarantee of profit. KTB race previews are published for interest and are not betting advice. Only ever stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, and set your own limits. Free, confidential help: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (GamCare.org.uk); in Ireland, the GamblingCare.ie helpline on 1800 936 725. Self-exclude at any time via GAMSTOP.
More from Kickthebookies