Racing heads back to Naas on Thursday and although there is an end of season feel to this National Hunt card, our team have highlighted a couple of horses who look to have promising careers ahead of them.
2:32 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle
This isn’t the deepest maiden hurdle and so it looks to be a very good opportunity for TROUBLED TIMES to get off the mark over obstacles. Twice a winner in Bumpers, she ran perfectly well in 2 starts over hurdles last summer, including when she finished just 4-lengths behind Shoot First at Tipperary in June.
She returned to Bumpers to win a Listed contest at Gowran in September, beating the now 135 rated Jetara by 3-lengths in a decent time. She is easily the most exciting mare in this lineup and should be hard to beat if ready after her break.
5:22 – Nursery of Champions INH Flat Race
Quite a lot of potential on show for the finale, but the Henry de Bromhead trained MAHON’S WAY looks the most interesting. A £360,000 at the Cheltenham Tatts sale in November, he was a 4-length winner in his only start in Points at Lisronagh 6-months ago. A half-brother to a bumper winner, he is from the family of Champagne Fever and showed enough speed in his victory at Lisronagh to suggest he will be capable of winning a Bumper before he embarks on a Novice hurdle campaign next season.
The application of a hood is a slight concern, but Henry De Bromhead has a 14% strike rate in Bumper at Naas and the yard could not be in better form after a successful time of things at Cheltenham.
