Great Minds© Photo Healy Racing
Flat racing returns to Munster with Cork's meeting today, where the opening Listed Cork Stakes is the feature event.
Last year's renewal of the five-furlong sprint saw former Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Bobby's Kitten win on his only start for trainer Dermot Weld, before being sent to stud. Another runner from that high-class renewal was Tommy Stack's soft ground specialist Great Minds and he himself has not raced since then, but returns to action, having his first start for Stack's son and newly licensed James 'Fozzy' Stack. Spirit Quartz Giant Spark and Dandyman Port add extra spice, while the Willie McCreery-trained Downforce joins Great Minds on a rating of 102 and helps defend the race for Ireland.
Stack's Son Of Rest is a very notable runner in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden. The son of Pivotal was second on debut at Tipperary, crucially on soft ground, before performing with great credit when finishing fourth on his second and latest effort, behind Classic contender Churchill in the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh in September.
Son Of Rest faces the Weld-trained Knowing You out of smart racemare She's Our Mark, and the Godolphin-owned, McCreery-trained Catamaran who is herself a well-bred daughter of Shamardal.
The TicketSales Online corkracecourse.ie Maiden will also give the leading yards another pointer to how their respective possible Classic contenders are shaping up at home with Aidan O'Brien (who runs Venezuela , Weld (Shamad) and Jim Bolger (Vocal Response) each likely to learn a little from their charges' performances.
Venezuela showed plenty when runner-up on debut at Leopardstown in June and is now tried in a first-time hood on his reappearance outing, while both Shamad and Vocal Response are likely to have learned plenty from their debut runs last term.
Weld's Zenaliya, a soft ground winner last season, began this season with a promising third placing at Naas's curtain-raiser fixture last weekend and is one of four runners to make a quick reappearance in the Easter Festival April 15-17th Rated Race.
The daughter of Lawman finished narrowly ahead of both Hansian Prince and Elusive Beauty then, while Oh Grace was down the field. Three Jacks a soft ground winner in October last year, makes his reappearance.
