In these exceptional times it is hard to lose sight of the fact that the actual Flat season gets under way on Monday at Naas. Can you believe that has come around already?
The racing at Naas will continue to be held in strict adherence to the Irish Government’s guidelines regarding Covid-19 and will be staged without members of the general public.
For those of you who don’t know, Naas Racecourse is a left-handed track of about one and a half miles. It is a galloping track and has a stiff four-furlong straight.
The two-furlong chute at the entrance to the straight allows the five and six furlong races to be run on a straight course. In recent times horses drawn in the medium to high stalls have fared the best.
Monday’s going conditions at Naas are described as: HEAVY, soft in places. Here are some pointers to all seven races on the card:
2:00pm - Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (2yo) 5f
With all 2-y-o maiden races on the opening day of the season, there is absolutely nothing to go on other than how well bred some of the competitors are.
The Ballydoyle colt LIPIZZANER naturally stands out as he was a $650,000 purchase as a yearling. He is related to some smart performers in Australia and commands plenty of respect in the horse racing betting odds.
Jim Bolger is no stranger to early season successes and in general, most of his 2-y-o’s tend to be fairly well forward on debut.
Therefore Allagar and Poetic Flare are the most obvious dangers to the selection.
2:30pm - Naas Nursery Of Champions Maiden (3yo+) 6f
ECCLESIASTICAL was trained by Martyn Meade last summer before being sold on for 14,000 gns in October. The colt certainly has some experience under his belt and is a speculative each-way punt in an open contest.
The Aidan O’Brien trained Knight Of Malta made an encouraging debut at this track last October and is bound to be on the premises, while Jessica Harrington’s Grizzly has a similar profile to the previous runner and is another who should definitely improve this season.
The Bolger yard has won this race three times in the last seven year so it would be complete folly to leave Sheer Bravado off any shortlist.
3:00pm - Naas Racecourse Launches The 2020 Irish Flat Season Handicap (3yo+) 6f
It’s the first handicap of the season to get our teeth stuck into and the Damian Joseph English-trained MOKHALAD is just screaming out to be backed at a decent each-way price.
Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the seven-year-old gelding is a course and distance winner and will be perfectly suited by the conditions underfoot on Monday. He is no stranger to running well in sizeable fields either.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Dark Vader will undoubtedly have a fitness advantage over his rivals here having had a successful winter on the all-weather tracks. He will either win this by a street or totally flop on the surface in my opinion.
Mick Halford’s Sendmylovetoyou is well drawn and proven on the going, while at the foot of the weights it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see Chris Hayes get a decent tune out of Starlite Dancer.
3:30pm - Naas Racecourse Business Club Madrid Handicap (3yo) 7f
Camachita and Hong Kong have both been seen in Group races but the preference on this occasion goes to the Ken Condon-trained ELUSIVE KING.
The 3-y-o won a 22-runner maiden here (6f, heavy) on only his second race and should improve now for the extra furlong.
Lustown Baba and In From The Cold are both course and distance winners, while the promising German-bred recruit, Real Appeal, failed to shine last season but could easily bounce back to form for Jim Bolger.
4:00pm - Devoy Stakes (Listed) (4yo+) 1m 2f
Last year’s Derby fifth, SIR DRAGONET, is the star attraction on what would normally be viewed as a mundane Monday afternoon’s racing on any other occasion.
This Listed Stakes is being used by Aidan O’Brien as the launchpad for last year’s Derby favourite as the son of Camelot embarks upon what could be a lucrative season for the four-year-old in this division.
According to the book, he holds an entry in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on the 24th May after this outing.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Numerian could prove to be the main danger to his father’s horse and will be a popular choice in any forecast bets that punters may undertake.
4:30pm - Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express Stakes (Group 3) (3yo+) 1m
Jim Bolger was successful in this race last year and can go in once again with his Dansili filly CERRO BAYO.
Cerro Bayo won a Roscommon Maiden over 1m 2½f in the soft last August and shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the drop back to a mile on her seasonal return.
Even So looks a useful prospect and is closely matched with Blissful on their Tipperary running, while of the older runners, Hamariyna for Mick Halford should hold every chance if reproducing her G3 success at Leopardstown back in May of last year.
5:00pm - Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (3yo) 1m
Plenty of runners in the lucky last to get stuck into and one or two of them have some fancy entries later in the year.
Curragh third Russian Emperor looked very promising on debut and is entered in the Irish Guineas and Derby, while Emiyn has Irish Guineas and Irish Derby engagements.
Legal Reform also has an Irish Guineas entry, however a runner that hails for a lesser known stable in this field is the Gearoid Brouder-trained COOL AS EVER who has an Irish 2,000 Guineas entry.
Given that the colt must be fancied somewhat at home, he could be an interesting little each-way play in this finale.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Terrance Williams / AP Photo*
