Naas look set for an exciting weekend of racing with plenty of action on and off the track. © Photo Healy Racing
A weekend of top quality action at Naas Racecourse will kick off on Saturday where the feature races of the day are the 15-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Birdcatcher Nursery and the RFL Steels Stakes.
The weekend will carry an Oktoberfest theme at Naas while on the track some valuable prizes will be down for decision.
One of the most prestigious nursey races in the Irish calendar has attracted a very strong field including course and distance winner Mctenett who is one of two Joseph O’Brien-trained runners.
The Brosnan Racing owned son of Starspangledbanner was a winner at Naas in August and will be joined by stable companion Gold Coast Galleon who was placed on his last two outings.
"The Birdcatcher is a really nice race and a good pot so we are looking forward to having two runners on Saturday," O'Brien said.
"Mctenett is a course and distance winner at Naas so handles the track and certainly deserves to take his chance there. Dylan Browne McMonagle won on him that day and knows him will and rides him again at the weekend.
"Gold Coast Galleon had a good run the last day at Down Royal. He likes to get cover in his races and is a strong traveller so the race will hopefully suit him and it'll be great if he could get a share of the spoils."
O’Brien’s younger brother Donnacha will saddle the top weight for the €40,000 heat as Gloucester looks to follow up wins at Cork and Fairyhouse already this season, while their father Aidan is represented by Carnegie Hall and Emperor Of Rome.
Impressive Cork winner Ocean Baroque will again have Conor Stone-Walsh claiming a valuable 7lbs off for trainer Danny Murphy while Dermot Weld’s Jalaybee is seeking a first win following three placed efforts earlier in the season.
Jessica Harrington is double handed in a race she last won in 2019. Harrington enjoyed a 1-2 with Glamorously and Dramatic Entrance in a Navan nursery last week and those two fillies will again renew their rivalry here for the Moone-based trainer.
With nine winners under his belt since returning from injury, Wesley Joyce is a notable booking for the Padraig Roche-trained Back Down Under while the Noel Meade-trained Gandolfo and Perfect Judgement trained by Ado McGuinness add plenty of depth to the feature two-year-old race on the card.
The locally trained Big Gossey heads the line-up for the RFL Steels Stakes for Straffan-based trainer Charles O’Brien.
The six-year-old is the oldest runner in the field but has been in fine form this season winning the Irish Stallion Farms Irish EBF Bold Lad Handicap at the Irish Champions Festival before finishing second in a Group 3 at the Curragh.
The Jack Davison-trained Thunderbear was a Group 3 winner at Newbury last time out and Coachello and Tanglo Flare are the other runners who have achieved a rating north of 100.
Colin Keane has been booked by Gordon Elliott to partner Coachello while Liam McAteer resumes the partnership with Tango Flare who was a winner twice already this season.
A seven-race card begins at Naas on Saturday at 1.40pm with declarations for Sunday’s card closing on Friday morning.
There will be also a lot happening off the track with the Oktoberfest package on offer for Saturday which will see the marquee transformed into a Bavarian party, with delicious traditional food, steins, music from The Camembert Quartet and, of course, Oktoberfest themed games! You can upgrade your admission ticket on the day or purchase the package at naasracecourse.com.
