Morph Speed and Chris Hayes (left) land the Cork Derby © Photo Healy Racing
The progressive 7/2 joint-favourite Morph Speed landed the Cork Derby under Chris Hayes.
As Fran Berry of Racing TV might say, it was a performance to upgrade as the Morpheus gelding was held up in a steadily-run affair.
He did very well to pick up more handily-positioned rivals in the straight, hitting the front a furlong out and staying on well to account for Federica Sophia (7/2 jt-fav) and Aesop (4/1) by three quarters of a length and half a length.
It was a third win from his last four races for the 5-year-old, whose trainer Richard O’Brien said: "It's eaten bread, soon forgotten, and I forget Dianthus won a Madrid Handicap but this is a massive deal for us to win a race of this calibre.
"He made a little heavy weather of winning last week (at Leopardstown) but looks to me like he has stepped forward. He is hugely progressive, is a lovely staying handicapper but I might have had my fun, as I have a feeling Johnny (Hassett, owner) might sell him.
"I was delighted to get him and get three wins with him but there has already been interest in him to go abroad. I'd have thought a jumping owner could also be interested, there's nothing too valuable for those big jumping owners!
"He is a beautiful horse, is very straightforward and has really hit a vein of form and looks quite versatile ground-wise."
Quotes from Thomas Weekes
