Cork Derby preview Erlkonig takes part in the second Derby of his career as the German import lines up in the inaugural running of the Cork Derby. A total of 16 go to post for this mile-and-a-half handicap and, with total prize-money of 30,000 euros, a competitive event looks in store. The grey son of Sternkoenig stayed on in mid-division behind Lucky Speed in the Sparda Deutsches Derby at Hamburg last July, and has been sent hurdling since joining Tony Mullins this year, scoring recently at Tipperary. Mullins said: "He came out of his last race well. He seems to have a bad draw - he's on the outside and they start near the winning post and go into a bend fairly soon. I think the draw is far more important in those distance races than a lot of people think. "He's in good form and works like a horse that will be competitive in this sort of race. He was only beaten around 11 lengths in a Derby and the ones around him that day have won Listed races since." He added: "Good ground is absolutely necessary for him and faster if possible. We worked him on soft ground in the spring, and if there is rain he won't run. "We've stuck him in the Wolferton Handicap at Royal Ascot just in case the ground is any slower than good, but he may not make the cut as it's a 96 to 110 rating. But if the ground is good he'll go to Cork." Mullins appears to have a nice dual purpose sort on his hands, and the centrepiece of the summer jumping calendar may also be part of his plans. "It's different going from a four-year-old hurdle at Tipperary to the Galway Hurdle but I'll talk to Danny (Mullins) about it. He won't have any problem with the EasyFix hurdles as his two runs have been over them and he's handled them well. "The Galway Hurdle is a different league but if we feel he can jump fast enough it certainly could be on the agenda." The in-form Ger Lyons yard supplies the top-weight in the shape of Chapter Seven, although his trainer is not sure what to expect from this quirky sort. He said: "He's a real character of a horse and ran a cracker in Cork the last day over a mile and two, and I would say that's his trip. "He got into all sorts of traffic problems and that's how you want to ride him. A mile and a half is stretching him but he handled Cork the last day and according to the handicapper he's the best horse in the race. Colin (Keane) will have good fun riding him as he'll be produced late. "He's a horse that is better on slower ground, and when firm starts coming into the description we'll not run him. The horses are well at the moment and he's well, but Chapter Seven will tell me more about the race on Sunday than I will tell him!" Others to consider in this competitive affair include the hat-trick-seeking Cliff House, Cardinal Palace and the dual-purpose pair Diplomat and Sailors Warn.
