Perry Mason
Perry Mason kept on well to finish third in the Cork Derby on Sunday, stepped up to a mile and a half again for the first time in almost a year. Smartly away from his outside draw, he settled into his racing rhythm in seventh or eighth place for Julian Pietropaolo. Still eighth as they rounded the home turn, he came under a ride from inside the three-furlong marker, but he found plenty. Sixth of the group of six that moved away from the rest of the field, he stayed on well on the far side. There was no way through on the far side so, switched towards the near side, he stuck to his task well, running on gamely all the way to the line to finish third, just a length and a half behind the winner Londonofficecallin.
This was another good run from Maurice Ahern's horse. He finished off last term well, winning handicaps at The Curragh over a mile and at Galway over seven furlongs, both on heavy ground, and he rounded off his campaign by finishing second in a premier handicap back at The Curragh, also over a mile on heavy ground, off a mark of 78. Winner of another one-mile handicap at The Curragh in March on heavy ground off a mark of 81, he ran a big race to finish fourth in another handicap at The Curragh in early April off a mark of 88, finishing just three quarters of a length behind Key Witness, who won again earlier on the day at Cork on Sunday off a 6lb higher mark. The handicapper raised Perry Mason to a mark of 91 after that, and he proved here that he was more than capable off that mark on Sunday.
The handicapper left him on his mark of 91 after Sunday's run, and that was more than fair. He will remain of interest off that mark now, the next time he has soft or heavy ground. Soft ground may be a little more difficult to find for a little while now as we move into the early summer, but it is still worth keeping him in mind. He stayed this 12-furlong trip well too, his first time to venture beyond a mile since he joined Maurice Ahern. He is five now, but, out of a mare who won the Group 3 Bronte Cup at York over a mile and six furlongs, there could be more to come from him now over middle distances, ideally on soft or heavy ground. He goes well at The Curragh, ideally on soft or heavy ground at The Curragh.
Cork, 3rd May 2026
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