Mount Ruapehu makes the breakthrough in Cork opener

Mount Ruapehu justified favouritism in the opener at Cork, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, as he made all under Andrew Slattery.

Placed on three of his previous six starts, the Invincible Spirit colt was expected to make the breakthrough this afternoon and was sent off the 13/8 market leader.

Pushed along over a furlong from home he soon increased his advantage and was eased approaching the line with three-parts of a length the margin of victory.

.Maggie McGrath (10/3) kept on without ever really threatening inside the final furlong and finished second under Ronan Whelan for Kieran Cotter, while Charles Bianconi (8/1) was another two-and-a-quarter-lengths back in third.

Owned, trained and bred by John Grogan, the winner is out of Katla who was successful three times in Listed company.

Barry Grogan, son of John, said: "We only have one horse, we're farmers from Rosegreen (Tipperary) and we have trained all the family. We train him on his own but is fairly straightforward and is a typical sprinty colt who can be buzzy at times.

"We bred him and the last time we had a winner at Cork was in a maiden with his dam Katla. She was a Listed winner three years in-a-row and we're delighted with him as he had been running fierce consistently.

"He could run over six (furlongs) again but the five could be the key to him, the cut in the ground helped and he also liked the track - those three things came together.

"There isn't much for him now but the winter will fly by as he'll be a lovely horse next year.

"My father is at Goffs and we're selling a yearling filly by Kodiac at the Orby Sale tomorrow."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes