big day at Cork

the racecourse at Mallow near Cork on the south coast of Ireland stages its biggest card of the season today., with the Group Three Noblesse Stakes for fillies over 1 1/2 miles at 16.50 CET as the main event. Two four-year-olds are faced by six three-year-olds, three of whom are trained by Aidan O´Brien,- all daughters of Galileo, as is Eternal Bounty (David Wachman/ Willie Lee), also owned by a Coolmore syndicate. These are clearly not the best of O´Brien´s fillies (who are running in France today) but Soon (Seamie Heffernan), now upped in distance, is possibly the best of them. However we take the 4yo Sapphire (Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen) to come out on top; she has not run since an easy winner over this trip at the Curragh in October, but is one of the few in the field who can act on very soft ground. Weld is a trainer we greatly admire and does not waste his time on lost causes, so the long break is no problem.
The going could also influence the result of the listed 5 furlongs sprint at 16.15, as several of the runners would definitely prefer it firmer. They include last year´s winner Inxile (David and Adrian Nicholls), Santo Padre (David Marnane/ Fergal Lynch) and consistent veteran Borderlescott (Robin Bastiman/ Robert Winston). One who goes well in the soft is Mirza (Rae Guest/ Fran Berry); we liked the way he won at Newmarket last week over 6 furlongs and make him our selection.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Performance - Indigo Ridge - Scent Of Roses
2. Race: Possible - Battleroftheboyne - Imaginationrunwild
3. Race: Borderlescott - Roicead - Gossamer Seed
4. Race: Sapphire - Soon - Remember Alexander
5. Race: Florry Knox - Lough Ferrib - Knockcroghery
6. Race: Bold Thady Quill - Potomac - Maundy Money
7. Race: Firethorn - Jumbo Prado - Edith Cowan
8. Race: Angel Bright - Little Arrows - One Of Three