Aesop

Aesop did well to finish third in the Cork Derby at Cork last Wednesday, coming from off behind in a race that was not run at a fast pace. The Cork Derby was one of two races run over a mile and a half on the day. In the other race, the Munster Oaks, admittedly a Group 3 race, they got from the start to the end of the back straight in a time that was around seven seconds faster than the time that it took the runners in the Cork Derby to cover the same ground. Aesop was stone last at that point of the race, it was always going to be difficult for him to make up the ground.

He made a valiant attempt. Shane Foley took him towards the outside early in the home straight, and he stayed on well from there all the way to the line. The winner, Morph Speed, did well to win, he started his run from well back in the field too, but he was always in front of Aesop, and he beat him by just over a length in the end.

Jessica Harrington’s horse was well beaten on his previous run at The Curragh, but that was on soft ground, and this was much more like it, building on his win in a 10-furlong handicap at Cork in early April. He was raised by just 3lb for that win to a mark of 87, the handicapper left him on that rating after Friday’s run, and that is a mark off which he will be of interest wherever he goes next. A half-brother to Youmzain from the family of Pilsudski, he stays a mile and a half well, and he could even get further, given his style of racing. It is interesting that he holds an entry in the Northumberland Plate.
Cork, 9^th June 2021