Cork, Sunday 5th April 2026 — Tips and Previews

Cork, Sunday 5th April 2026 — Tips and Previews

Good to yielding ground at Cork suits horses with a bit of class about them, and today's card delivers three races worth investing in. Willie Mullins is firing with a 7/19 strike rate over the last fortnight, which means his runners deserve respect even when the market has already priced them accordingly. The standout heat of the day is the Grade 3 chase at 4:10, but there is genuine each-way value lurking in the 20-runner handicap hurdle at 3:00 if you know where to look.

1:50 — BAR 1 Betting Hurdle (2m½f)

Seven runners, so each-way betting is tight, but the race itself is not complicated. Ndaawi (15/8, Spreadex) is the second favourite and the one to beat on raw ratings: an RPR of 164 and a TS of 144 put him clear on figures in this field. Gordon Elliott's yard is not running red-hot at 3/37 over the last 14 days, which is the one hesitation, and his recent form reading of 22-130 includes that disappointing last run. But the step back up in trip after that effort and the good-to-yielding ground should suit a horse of his profile.

The one who stops you going all-in on Ndaawi is Absurde, the odds-on favourite at 10/11. An RPR of 168 makes him the highest-rated horse in the race, and Harry Cobden takes the ride for a Mullins yard that is bang in form. His form of 1/31-0 includes a blank last time, but this looks like a straightforward confidence-restoring assignment. He is short enough in a seven-runner field not to be fancied each-way.

Selection: Ndaawi at 15/8 (Spreadex, SportingIndex). Better RPR than anything bar the favourite, and there is a case he is closer to that level than his last run suggests.

3:00 — BAR 1 Betting Handicap Hurdle (2m3f)

Twenty runners, five places, good-to-yielding ground. This is exactly the sort of race where backing a horse each-way at double-figure odds makes sense, and County Final fits the bill perfectly.

County Final Each-Way (9/1, Bet365 and William Hill) ran 5-1-2-2 over his last four completed starts before that pulled-up last time. He carries 159lbs on a mark derived from an RPR of 136, and Aidan Kelly claims 3lbs, which is worth having in a competitive field. The trainer E McNamara has had a quiet 14 days (0/4), but those figures often disguise horses who are fit and primed rather than struggling for form. A horse who was placing consistently before one bad run is absolutely the type to bounce back in a big-field handicap at a fair price.

The market suggests I'm Slippy (17/2, BetTom/Bet Goodwin) is the most fancied at a bigger price. He won twice from his first two starts over hurdles and the 1-1-2-5-0 arc since then suggests a horse whose handicap mark has caught up with him somewhat. Phillip Enright aboard keeps him interesting, but 17/2 for a horse with a recent form line of 1250 is not the value punt in a 20-runner field.

Open Secret at 14/1 (William Hill, Coral) is the longshot worth a small mention. The form reads 4-2-1-4-2-0, and Jordan Gainford is one of the sharper younger jockeys in Ireland. Elliott's strike rate of 3/37 keeps him firmly in the each-way bracket rather than anything bolder.

Selection: County Final each-way at 9/1 (Bet365, William Hill). Five places at 1/5 odds means you are collecting at 9/5 a place. A horse who was placed in four of his last six completed starts is absolutely capable of filling one of those five positions.

4:10 — BAR 1 Betting Chase, Grade 3 (3m½f)

Four runners over three miles and half a furlong, and this is the most straightforward piece of form analysis on the card. Nowwhatdoyouthink (5/2, Virgin Bet and LiveScore Bet) is the value call against the Mullins jolly.

Classic Getaway heads the market at 5/6 and carries an RPR of 164, but his recent form of 66-4-7-3 tells you a horse who has been struggling to put it all together. He has not won since 2024 and while Mullins and Cobden is a formidable combination, the market is pricing him on reputation more than current form. The yard is in decent enough nick at 7/19, but there is no guarantee that turns a 66-473 form horse into a winning machine at this level.

Nowwhatdoyouthink has the better recent figures and a form line of 6-5-3-3-1-2 that screams consistent performer. His RPR of 162 is only fractionally behind Classic Getaway, and Ray Hackett's small yard has struck with 1/4 runners recently, which at least confirms they are not sending horses out ill-prepared. Liam Quinlan keeps the ride and at 5/2 you are getting a horse who is clearly the second string on paper but may well be the better price in a four-runner Grade 3 where the favourite's form is not compelling.

Promontory Each-Way at 8/1 (Bet365, Unibet, BetTom) is worth a small each-way interest given Sarah Joanna Connell's yard has a perfect 1/1 record in the last 14 days. An RPR of 141 means he would need career-best form to win, but in a four-runner Grade 3 where the market is bunched, a place return at 8/1 is not without logic.

Selection: Nowwhatdoyouthink at 5/2 (Virgin Bet, LiveScore Bet). Consistent form at Grade 3 level, solid RPR, and facing a favourite whose recent run of figures does not inspire confidence.

Today's NAP