THE form of the Scurry Handicap, run at The Curragh on Irish Oaks day, is working out well, as it often does.

The winner, Perfect Pasture, was admittedly well beaten on his next run in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon, but there were excuses.

He was drawn poorly that day, he was racing off a 10lb higher mark, and it wasn’t his running anyway.

Three of the next four home in the Scurry have run, and they have all enhanced the form of the race. Runner-up Master Speaker was only just beaten by Ostatnia at Tipperary next time off a 3lb higher mark.

Fourth-placed In Salutem was impressive in winning the Shergar Cup Dash at Ascot next time, and fifth-placed Captain Power has passed the post first twice since: once at Naas off a 1lb lower mark, after which (in what had to have been a marginal call) he was disqualified, and once, impressively, showing an impressive turn of foot, at Leoparstown off a 2lb higher mark, after which he wasn’t.

As well as that, Moviesta, 18th in the Scurry, won nicely at Dundalk on Sunday.

Four of the first five home are rated higher now than they were for the Scurry. The one who isn’t is third-placed Distant Past, who hasn’t run again yet.

Still on his Scurry mark of 83, Kevin Ryan’s horse holds an entry in the Ayr Gold Cup, and he could be a well-handicapped horse now.

Maths question

BRYAN Cooper shares his birthday (7th August) with the world’s winning-most rider Russell Baze. If Cooper turned 24 this month and Baze turned 58, in what year will the Irish rider be half the Canadian’s age?