There are two listed races on the card at Naas on Wednesday, at 18:30 and 19:00, which are previewed first, followed by the meeting’s other five contests. Reading this on Tuesday? Check out our Ballinrobe selections for tonight.
Naas Selections:
- 17:30: Man’s Best Friend
- 18:00: Ohailbhic
- 18:30: Shimmering Sun
- 19:00 Oh Cecelia (each-way)
- 19:30: Perfect Judgement
- 20:00: Watch Tower
- 20:30: Phenomenal Filly
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18.30 – €50,000 Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes, 2yo fillies, five furlongs
Trainer Paddy Twomey had a Group 3 winner at the Curragh on Saturday and runs two fillies here (he also ran two at the Curragh), which are Big Negotiator, who will run in a first-time visor following a fourth-place finish over c/d on July 4th, and Concorde Landed, the mount of Billy Lee, a €200,000 breeze-up purchase that won over c/d on her racecourse debut on July 4th.
There are three British runners in the race, and, like Big Negotiator, they bring Royal Ascot form into the race. British runners have won this race twice in the last four years.
Harry Eustace’s Shimmering Sun finished seventh, beaten just under four lengths by the winner, Victorious, in the Queen Mary Stakes, keeping on in the closing stages, with Big Negotiator just over two lengths behind her in the race. Kevin Philippart de Foy’s Silent Beauty was well held at Royal Ascot after winning on her debut at Yarmouth (she cost €1million as a yearling), while Karl Burke’s Tropical Crown, a £100,000 breeze-up purchase, won well on her debut at Bath on July 3rd and looks promising. Burke won this race in 2024 with Miss Lamai.
Of the others, Ger Lyons’ April Mist won nicely on her second start, which came at Bellewstown, having finished second on her debut over c/d. She’s a half-sister to five-time winner Kisskodi, who was trained by Harry Eustace, while Jessica Harrington’s Belle Of The Ball finished fourth of six in a Group 2 race after winning at Cork.
Overall, though, Shimmering Sun’s Royal Ascot run means that she sets the benchmark for the form of this race and she looks to be the one to beat.
Selection: Shimmering
19:00 – €50,000 Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes, fillies and mares, 3yo+, five furlongs
There are also British runners in this race, with Karl Burke running Soul Love, who heads the betting, and Roger Varian being represented by Coconut Cove. British runners have won this race for the last two years, with both being returned as the favourite.
Soul Love ran a blinder to finish third in a Group 3 race at York last time out, although that run came just 12 days ago. Coconut Cove finished second in a 15-runner listed race at Ayr on June 20th, having run quite well in similar races prior to that effort.
Of the home runners, Fregada put in her best run to date when fourth to Big Gossey in a listed race at the Curragh on June 28th, Sarahmae and Treasure Rose have progressed nicely in handicaps, and Dancing Rose has won her last two races and is clearly improving.
Oh Cecelia was beaten just a head by subsequent Group 1 Commonwealth Cup-fourth Havana Anna, who won the Marwell Stakes on this card last year, in a Group 3 race over six furlongs here in May. Tahcawin finished just behind her there but then finished ahead of her, as did Fregada, at the Curragh. All three of Oh Cecelia’s wins have come over five furlongs, although two of those wins came on soft going.
Xerling is gradually progressing and hails from a very shrewd stable.
In truth, Soul Love has the best piece of form (last time out), but the short gap between that race and this is a concern. I could see Oh Cecelia blazing a trail in a first-time visor and running a good race. She’s a sporting each-way selection, with Xerling and Coconut Cove taken to fill the places.
Selection: Oh Cecelia (E/W)
17.30 A six-furlong maiden for 2yos
Aidan O’Brien runs two colts here, the newcomer Ile de France, who is by top-class USA performer Gun Runner out of a Grade 3 winner at Kentucky Downs, who will be ridden by Jack Cleary, and Man’s Best Friend, the mount of Wayne Lordan. The latter showed plenty of promise when fourth over 6f at the Curragh on his debut, with the winner there, Abraham Lincoln, subsequently being just beaten in a Group 2 race at Newmarket, and the runner-up, Haffner, winning a maiden on that same Newmarket card. His chance is there for all to see.
Michael O’Callaghan runs a €200,000 newcomer, Muscogee Nation, who is among the first crop of dual-Breeders’ Cup winner Golden Pal, while Fozzy Stack runs the €125,000 yearling purchase My Lucky Journey, who is by Starspangledbanner, and Paddy Twomey runs New Bond Street, who showed plenty of promise when fifth of 14 on her Cork debut. She cost 200,000 guineas at the breeze-ups in April and attracted money on her debut but things didn’t quite go her way. She holds some nice entries and can be expected to do better today.
The betting will tell a story but, on the face of things, Man’s Best Friend can be the punter’s pal in the Naas opener.
Selection: Man’s Best Friend
18:00 – Forte Healthcare Handicap, 5f205y, 3yo+
Ohalbhic has been cleverly campaigned and has now won his last two races. Both of those wins came at a mile but he ran well when third, beaten three parts of a length, over c/d just over a year ago when rated 84 and he runs here off 79.
Of the others, Bad Boy Rizz is lightly raced but very consistent and finished second over c/d a year ago, beaten half a length, off 84 and is now rated 81. Flaming Rib was rated 15lbs higher than today a year ago and won a listed race in his pomp, while Soulful Diva is from a stable whose horses have been running well and she should have more to come from her handicap debut last time. Ninth Crusade didn’t quite build on his well-backed Wolverhampton debut win last year and has been off for 243 days but there is surely better to come in time from this £205,000 breeze-up purchase.
Finally, Gotta Catch’em All came good at Navan last time, but that was his first win in 26 attempts, Mint Man won over c/d off 71 last August and is now rated 68 so is being cut some slack by the handicapper, and All Hail met trouble in running at Navan last time and will surely win a race in due course.
Tonight, though, the honours can go to the in-form Ohailbhic.
Selection: Ohailbhic
19.30 – O’Neill & Co. Apprentice Handicap, 4yo+, 0-60, one mile
Paul Flynn’s horses are running well so a good run from William F Browne would hardly be a surprise, although he is not the most-consistent performer. Mehmar ran well when fourth at Leopardstown last time over six furlongs but has only once run over today’s trip (finished unplaced). It would be no surprise to see Mick Mulvaney’s Dinamine go well in first-time headgear under a promising apprentice, while Denis Hogan’s Medieval Night was rated 65 (now 57) when finishing second at Leopardstown eleven months ago, so a good run would come as no surprise in a modest race even though he has yet to win in 14 tries.
Overall, though, Perfect Judgement, who only recently joined Pat Murphy, was rated 85 last year and didn’t run too badly when fifth at Leopardstown last time out from a mark of 62. He will run here off 60 and a good apprentice has been booked to ride. He gets the nod.
Selection: Perfect Judgement
20:00 – NFP Handicap, 7f 3yo+
Ger Lyons’ Watch Tower came good over today’s trip at Leopardstown on July 9th and left the impression that he has more to come, which seems fair enough given that he is lightly raced. Johnny Murtagh’s Contrary To Law, who, like Watch Tower, is a lightly-raced three year-old, came good at Fairyhouse last time in a photograph finish but has been raised seven pounds in the ratings for that win. He’s a half-brother to five-time Hong Kong Group 1 winner Exultant. Thenandnow ran well last time out when third at Fairyhouse on what was her handicap debut. The winner, Treasure Rose, runs in one of tonight’s listed races on the card at 7pm. Overall, though, I’ll stick with Watch Tower.
Selection: Watch Tower
20:30 – Naas Racecourse Race, 7f, 3yo+
The weights and ratings in this four-runner race make it a match between Paddy Twomey’s Phenomenal Filly and Ger Lyons’ Suzie Songs.
Ger Lyons has won this race three times in the last five years, and the favourite, all of them odds-on, has obliged in four of the six times the race has been run.
Some good horses have won this race. This year’s Group 1 July Cup winner, Comanche Brave, won last year, subsequent dual-Group 3 winner Mutasarref won in 2022, subsequent dual-Hong Kong winner Beauty Champ won in 2021, and subsequent dual-Australian Group 2 winner I Am Superman won in 2019.
Ger Lyons runs Suzie Songs tonight. She won a Group 3 race at the Curragh in June of last year and has gradually come back to form this year, as indicated by her latest run when fourth over c/d when fitted with a first-time tongue-tie.
Phenomenal Filly has won once in four starts but has yet to run a modest race, She was beaten half-a-length by Duckadilly in a Group 3 race at the Curragh on July 9th, where she met a bit of trouble in running. With cheek-pieces fitted for the first time, she is suggested as the one to beat in the card’s finale.
Selection: Phenomenal Filly
Naas Selections – Wednesday, July 22
- 17:30: Man’s Best Friend
- 18:00: Ohailbhic
- 18:30: Shimmering Sun
- 19:00 Oh Cecelia (each-way)
- 19:30: Perfect Judgement
- 20:00: Watch Tower
- 20:30: Phenomenal Filly
