Cork report: Kyprios gets three-year-old season off to the perfect start

Kyprios and Seamie Heffernan win the Blackwater Race. Picture: Healy Racing

Kyprios, from the incredible family of two-time Irish Leger winner Search For A Song, Group 1 winner Free Eagle, and prolific winners Custom Cut and Sapphire, amongst others, got his three-year-old season off to the perfect start by winning the Blackwater Race on the card in Cork.

Isle Of Sark and Blue For You shared the lead from an early stage and the eventual winner was one of the first off the bridle. However, Aidan O’Brien’s runner showed stamina in spades to get on top late to win a shade comfortably from the staying-on O’Reilly.

“He probably did well to win at two, but it was great to get him a win and get some experience into him then,” said Heffernan. “He’s not too slow and I was happy with him today. He’s right up there or just behind the best of them.”

Ottoman Emperor never looked quite comfortable throughout the first division of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden and yet Johnny Murtagh’s horse, much to his credit, had the wherewithal to get the job done. In seeing off the similarly green and promising Max Mayhem, he built on a fine first effort and can go on from here. Winning rider Ben Coen felt he appreciated the good ground and would continue to improve.

“He’s still plenty green,” said Coen. “He came on a lot from Dundalk, and he loves good ground. He did it well there and that’s probably his ideal trip, and hopefully he’ll keep improving.

Kailash earned a much-deserved breakthrough in the second division of the maiden. Trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Colin Keane, he was never far off the pace and showed a good attitude to see off the game effort of Star Official by a length and three quarters

“He’s a grand horse, he always runs an honest race and I’d say he might even get a little further in time too,” said Kris Weld. “More of an ease in the ground would be a help. He’s toughed it out well and showed a good attitude, as he always does. Hopefully he’ll have more good days ahead.”

Jim Bolger saddled the winners of the two ten-furlong handicaps on the card, the first of them with the Luke McAteer-ridden Ivy Avenue, who stayed on nicely to edge out Na Caith Tobac in the apprentice handicap. Vocito completed the near 34-1 double with an admirably tough display in the GAIN The Advantage Series Handicap, under Kevin Manning.

Jessica Harrington, Shane Foley, and owner Zhang Yuesheng, fresh from a double on Tuesday at Tipperary, added another to their tally when Bopedro came through late to win the Follow Us On Twitter Handicap. A winner over course and distance when trained by Jim Bolger, he spent time with Satish Seemar in the UAE before joining the Harrington team in 2020.

On this, his third start for the team, he quickened up nicely to collar Fastnet Crown in the shadow of the post.

With the Dermot Weld, Aidan O’Brien, Jim Bolger, Jessica Harrington, Joseph O’Brien and Johnny Murtagh yards – all members of the Super League of Flat racing trainers in Ireland – on the mark, there was few scraps to be picked up on the Cork card, but Kevin Smith, who is a shrewd operator in his own right, saddled an impressive and well-bought winner in the finale. The lightly raced International Lady, having the seventh run of her career and just third since joining Smith, ran out an easy winner of the Mallow Handicap under Colin Keane.

Racing on the far side of the track, she was off the pace early but quickened up sharply to go clear inside the final furlong for an impressive success.

Having twice been sold for around €70,000 in younger days, the now three-year-old was picked up for just €1,500 at the Tatts Autumn horses-in-training sales in October, and what a shrewd purchase she now looks.