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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Morph Speed has the gears in Cork Derby

Wed 9th Jun 2021, 17:07

Morph Speed and Chris Hayes (left) land the Cork Derby 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

1st
7/2JFav
Tote €5.00 €1.50
2nd
0.75L
7/2JFav
€1.40
3rd
0.5L
4/1
€2.00
4th
hd
5/1
About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.