Despite the chase and sprint tracks being unraceable, Cork still presents a decent seven-race card today with a £25,000 Listed Sprint on the flat and a £25,000 mares bumper which has attracted two British runners including one from David Nicholson's powerful yard.
The Duke, continuing his Irish stay after Punchestown, sends Matzaluna to Cork and this one should be hard to beat with the benefit of her racecourse debut behind her.
That came only last Saturday when Matzaluna finished third to Waterberg at Market Rasen in a one mile and five furlong bumper. Matzaluna looked to be travelling like a winner turning into the straight but didn't quicken as well as expected. In the circumstances today's extra quarter mile plus must be in her favour.
The sprint will now have a bend, something that should help Antinnaz. Tommy Stack's filly barely got six furlongs as a two-year-old but still showed good form and gets a lot of weight from the other three-year-old, Immovable Option, and the Curragh rivals, One Won One and American Tabloid.
Champagne Native, Tom Taaffe's dual bumper winner, is a significant entry in the first division of the maiden hurdle and is impossible to oppose and in the second division preference is for Onefor Nine whose trainer Frances Crowley is returning to top form.
At Gowran tomorrow, Yeo- man's Point may be relatively low in Aidan O'Brien's list of weekend priorities but the course winner should be able to step up on his runner up to Port Bayou at Cork to take the Glanbia Classic Trial. John Oxx's Akbar should be the danger if improving from his Leopardstown start.
Another previous course winner is El Comendador who won a maiden last month despite running green. He should improve significantly for that and can win the mile handicap despite top-weight and Noel Meade's good run can continue with Pillar Rock in the seven-furlong maiden.
