HE’S NO NEARLY MAN
The card is the latest episode in the thrilling battle between Pat Smullen and Colin Keane for this season’s Irish jockey’s championship.
The pair are serving up a tremendous tussle for title honours and both have good chances over the course of this fixture.
Smullen (right) rides Yulong Gold Fairy in the day’s feature and it is hard to look past the chances of this useful filly.
Last time out she won a qualifier for this race at the Galway Festival and she showed that day that seven furlongs on slow ground is no problem to her.
Colin Keane has solid prospects of a double with his mount Mustajeer making plenty of appeal in the 10 furlong handicap.
This gelding has to shoulder top weight on his Irish debut but there are several reasons for siding with him.
The Ger Lyons inmate has dropped back to a mark of 91 having once been NEARLY NAMA’D is tipped to come back to form in the featured Coopsuperstores.ie Handicap Chase at Cork this afternoon.
This gelding hasn’t been at his best this year but should improve for a comeback run at Killarney in late August.
It is also worth recalling that, at his best, he was a very smart two mile handicap chaser.
A couple of seasons ago he won two valuable handicaps over this trip at Fairyhouse and he is chosen in the hope that he can return to that level.
On a tricky card Moyross is one that makes plenty of appeal in the three mile novice hurdle.
He won a Galway maiden hurdle last month when his finishing effort suggested that he would relish moving up to this trip.
Bilko has been frustrating to follow over fences but he gets another chance in the rated novice chase.
He is well treated by the race conditions and his rider claims a valuable seven pounds.
At Sligo last time the very testing going was probably against him and some of his previous efforts over fences give him every chance.
His trainer Gordon Elliott might also land the bumper with the promising Secret Legacy.
This six-year-old looked a decent type when he made a winning debut in a Tipperary bumper last week.