Downforce impresses in Cork feature

Downforce absolutely pulverised the opposition in the featured six furlong Cork Stakes (Listed).

Willie McCreery 's charge relishes testing conditions and emphasised that fact when drawing right away in the final furlong to score by a whopping 12 lengths.

Billy Lee soon had him prominent behind pacesetting Spirit Quartz The pair travelled well in second outside the two pole before easing to the front a furlong and a half out.

The five-year-old gelding only had to pushed out in the final furlong to move well clear and oblige at 3/1 (from 11/2 in the morning) on his seasonal reappearance. Penny Pepper (16/1) won the race for second by a head from 8/1 shot Only Mine

Willie McCreery said: "He loves that ground and Penny Pepper finished second to us last year too so it's the same two and those Fast Companys love that ground.

"He just goes through it when others can't and I was delighted to see it barely raceable today. The ground, to me, is barely raceable and he was the only one who could handle it.

"We'll have to try him on a bit better ground now - I won't ever run him on firm but he has ran crackers of races on good ground in the past. We'll keep stepping him up, he's a grand horse but today was his Derby as we have to make hay with him early on, and late on, in the year."

Colm O'Donoghue suffered a tumble when Master Speaker slipped up before the winning post.

This was Downforce's fifth career victory.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes