Cork preview Invasion Day and Empire State renew rivalries in the opening race at Cork on Friday. The Ger Lyons-trained Invasion Day and Aidan O’Brien’s Empire State made their respective racecourse debuts at Dundalk at the start of the month, finishing second and third behind Chicas Amigas from Jessica Harrington’s yard. There was only half a length between the pair and it will be intriguing to see who improves most for the switch to turf. O’Brien also fields Isle Of Innisfree and National Guard in the curtain-raising Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. The Cork Racecourse Handicap was split into two divisions at the declaration stage. Likely contenders for division one include Above Us Only Sky and Time Stands Still, both of whom have been running well on the all-weather. Brave Display tops the field for the second division and Patrick Prendergast’s inmate is likely to be popular with punters as he bids to follow up last Sunday’s narrow success at the Curragh. The admirable veteran Seanie, who makes his second start since joining Karl Thornton, may give him most to think about. O’Brien’s Hence sets a high standard in the Cork Racecourse Fillies Maiden, having officially run to a mark of 95 when beaten just a length into fourth place in the Listed Tetrarch Stakes at Naas recently. Her stablemate Most Gifted is a danger, however, having shaped with abundant promise when third on her Curragh debut a week ago. O'Brien's twice placed El Greco clashes with Jim Bolger’s New To Town and the Fozzy Stack-trained Tooreen Katie in the Buy Online @ corkracecourse.ie Maiden. Vocal Queen, trained by Brendan Duke, ran a cracker to finish fourth here a fortnight ago and might be the answer to the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden.
