Hot aiming to burn off rivals John Joseph Murphy is looking forward to seeing Hot Sauce test her powers over a longer distance in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Give Thanks Stakes at Cork on Tuesday. The three-year-old has made excellent progress since shedding her maiden tag at Gowran Park in late April, most notably filling the runner-up spot in a Newbury Listed contest on her penultimate start. She failed to land a telling blow in the nine-furlong Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh last month, but Murphy expects the step up to a mile and a half to play to his filly's strengths. "She came out of her last run in great form and we think she'll stay the longer trip well," said the Upton-based trainer. "I was happy with her last run in the Curragh and if we'd ridden her a bit handier, it might have been a different story. "The form is there and we're looking forward to running her again." Hot Sauce is one of eight declared for the Group Three contest, with Aidan O'Brien running Cocoon, Easter and On A Pedestal. Dermot Weld is double-handed, with Pat Smullen siding with Blue Wind Stakes second Zannda over stable companion Zhukova, an impressive winner on her last start at Navan. Jim Bolger's Altesse and Wooden Heart from the in-form yard of David Wachman complete the field.
