Distillate swaps Down Royal date for Cork win

Distillate (28/1) was the third consecutive big-priced winner at Cork today as Ado McGuinness' filly overcame form-figures of '05000' to win the Buy Tickets Online Handicap by a nose — from 100/1 outsider Lohengrin

The Havana Grey chesnut had won three times last year and having been well beaten on her most recent runs, today reverted back to seven-furlongs and at the line was all out, under jockey Adam Caffrey, to hold the bigger-priced runner-up.

Trainer McGuinness later reported “Distillate had slipped down the handicap which is a huge help to horses like these, as they always go to a level and then they struggle. It is only when they come back down that they get competitive again and she had come back down to 65 today, which made her competitive.

“We stepped her up (in distance) and he gave her a good ride as he had to kick when she did as she travelled very easily. She just held on but were in front where it matters.”

He added “we'll potter away in similar races and the boys (Devlin, O'Hare and Smith) are from the north of Ireland and love running horses up in Down Royal.

“Actually I had Distillate in at Down Royal last weekend but I forgot to declare her, as I messed up my phone! I told them we were running in Cork instead so it was all for the good!”

Today's fixture began with 5/2 favourite Powerful Nation s success in the opener, which was followed by Scorchio s success at 28/1 and Gerrit's Gem at 33/1, with Distillate completing the big-priced treble at 28/1.