Naas Racecourse hosts an all juvenile card on Thursday afternoon, with all of the seven-races on the card open to only two-year-old runners and the chance to see some potential stars of the future on display – none more so than in the final race of the day.
Racing gets underway at Naas at 2.25pm with a five furlong fillies maiden contest and rounds off at 5.40pm as 12 runners take on the seven furlong maiden which has some very eye-catching entrants with big price tags.
Read below to discover the latest tips and full meeting preview of Naas’s card on Thursday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest horse racing odds throughout the season.
The opening contest of the afternoon sees a field of 12 take on the five furlong maiden (2.25), where the Willie McCreery-trained Lunigiana can open her account, having run pretty well when launched into Listed company at the Curragh 33 days ago. Miracle Beauty is an interesting newcomer for the Joseph O’Brien yard, which is bang in form after Porta Fortuna’s win on Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown in the Matron Stakes, so Miracle Beauty has to be respected on debut.
Another five furlong maiden contest marks race two on the Naas card (2.55), with 13 runners set to line up at the start. Currawood for trainer Paddy Twomey sets a good standard having been placed in a couple of strong maidens at the Curragh and progress is expected here. Aidan O’Brien is no stranger to success in this race either and he has an interesting debutant in Mississippi River, a whopping 850,000 guineas Lope De Vega colt and has Ryan Moore booked to ride, so clearly cannot be discounted.
Fourteen runners will take on the five furlong nursery handicap contest in race three of the Naas card on Thursday (3.25). Tommy McJohn showed plenty of promise in two maidens prior to disappointing at Cork last time out but looks well-treated here to show vast improvement on his handicap bow for trainer Michael O’Callaghan. Of his rivals, Weegeebear rates a danger down in trip after a sixth at Down Royal on his last spin.
William F Browne looks the one to beat in race four (3.55) for Ger Lyons as he drops into maiden company off the back of a second of ten at Roscommon last month. Mighty Day was second last time out and provides the chief threat in this 12-runner claiming maiden over a mile.
Race five on the card sees 15 two-year-old’s tackle the one mile nursery handicap at 4.30 and Now, for trainer Donnacha O’Brien, remains with potential heading into nurseries having finished well down the field last time out at Naas but this opening mark in this sphere of 66 looks pretty fair considering her previous form. The chief threat comes from Edergole’s Angel second on nursery debut at the Curragh 19 days ago for Willie McCreery.
Rowdy Yeats looked very encouraging on debut for trainer Noel Meade and he looks the type to improve from that second at the Curragh when he lines up alongside 18 rivals in the seven furlong maiden (5.05) and scoop the near €15,000 top prize. Temperance can give him the most to think about, arriving off a second in a minor event at Cork just eight days ago and well clear of the rest that day.
Finally, the Naas card on Thursday comes to an end at 5.40 with a maiden over seven furlongs and if you want to see how some expensive horses get on then you’re in luck. Aidan O’Brien unleashes Galveston – an eye-watering two million guineas yearling colt out of Frankel – and once again has superstar jockey Moore booked to ride. Ger Lyons sends €300,000 Earthlight colt Washington Street to take on O’Brien’s young gun, while trainer Jessica Harrington has €120,000 Wootton Bassett filly Diamond Exchange entered as well in what looks an incredibly competitive contest.
Naas selections – Thursday
2.25 – Lunigiana
2.55 – Mississippi River
3.25 – Tommy McJohn
3.55 – William F Browne
4.30 – Now
5.05 – Rowdy Yeats
5.40 – Galveston
