Naas Racecourse

Last year's G3 Prix de Cabourg victor The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Anna Law {Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}) opened this term with a third in Navan's Listed Committed S. and led from pillar to post in Sunday's G3 Goffs Lacken S. at Naas. His eight-race juvenile campaign included three encounters with Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never), hitting the board behind that now-retired former stablemate in the G2 Prix Robert Papin, G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park. The Antarctic broke sharply and led along the far-side rail from flagfall. In...

Donnacha O'Brien trainee Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio--Too Precious {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) posted a debut win over five furlongs at the Curragh last month and punched a ticket to Royal Ascot with a determined success in Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. Naas. She was positioned within range of the leaders in a close eighth through the early stages and tanked forward once past halfway. Shaken up at the quarter-mile marker, the 8-1 chance quickened smartly to seize control approaching the final furlong and was...

Entries are now open for the Irish EBF Barrier Trials at Naas Racecourse scheduled for Monday, May 29. The trials, restricted to unraced juveniles and 3-year-olds, are operated by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) and backed by the Irish European Breeders' Fund (IEBF) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). The 2023 edition will be back on turf for the first time since 2019, and all the trials will be conducted over six and seven furlongs. Notable graduates of the trials include Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot...

Joseph O'Brien trainee Caroline Street (No Nay Never--Harvestfortheworld {Ire}, by So You Think {NZ}) was highly tried after notching a July 14 debut score at Leopardstown, with the highlight of three subsequent pattern-race starts being a second to Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in September's G2 Golden Fleece S. back at the Foxrock venue. Lining up for Saturday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. coming back off a sixth in the Curragh's Sept. 22 G3 Weld Park S., she found plenty in the straight to lead...

Al Shira'aa Racing will be the feature sponsor with their co-sponsorship of the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. on May 6, Naas Racecourse and Al Shira'aa Racing announced on Thursday. The Kildare-based operation will also continue to support the Listed Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial on June 28. A stepping stone to the Oaks at Epsom, the Blue Wind has thrown high-class winners in recent years, including multiple Group 1 winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal). Al Shira'aa Racing is headed by Sheikha Fatima bint...

The fourth running of the Irish EBF Ballyhane S. on Monday, August 7 will be worth €300,000, with every runner in the race set to earn prize-money. At a twin launch at Ballyhane Stud and the Lord Bagenal Hotel on Wednesday evening, representatives from Naas Racecourse, the Irish EBF and Ballyhane, ably helped by the stud's impeccably behaved new stallion Space Traveller (GB), also announced an accompanying prize for one lucky racegoer of a trip to the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Entrance to Naas Racecourse for the meeting will be...

Six races will be sponsored by TRM at Naas Racecourse during the 2023 Flat season. In addition, the manufacturer and distributer will also support owners, trainers, stable staff, and breeders. The winning trainer of each of the six TRM-backed races will receive TRM supplements to the value of €500, while the Best Turned Out prizes to support the hardworking stable staff will be €100 cash as well as branded clothing. TRM will also award winning breeders with €500 RRP worth of breeding supplements. In addition, there will also be a...

Entries close for the Aug. 7 €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas Racecourse on Wednesday, Mar. 8. This year marks the fourth renewal of the race which is a median auction race for 2-year-olds that are European Breeders Fund (EBF) eligible, and whose sire established one or more yearling sales in the previous year with a median price of not more than €75,000. The breeder of the winning horse is also recognised by the race sponsors, as they will receive a free nomination to a Ballyhane Stud stallion. The...

Five races, up from four, will be sponsored by Micheal Orlandi's Compas Stallions at Naas Racecourse in 2023, the racecourse announced on Wednesday. The operation is one of the headline sponsors for the first Flat meeting of 2023 at Naas on Sunday, Mar. 26. Orlandi said, "Naas Racecourse is a wonderful nursery for young precocious horses and Compas Stallions is delighted to continue our association with a progressive track which shares our passion to support and engage with grassroots racing and breeding." Compas Stallions stands new stallion Dubawi Legend (Ire)...

Barberstown Castle placed a winning bid of €8,000 to win the sponsorship of the G3 Poplar Square Chase at Naas Racecourse during The Coast To The Curragh Cycle last month, which raised money for Cancer Trials Ireland. Scheduled for Nov. 12, when National Hunt racing returns to Naas, the race has proven to be a popular early winter target. The Coast To The Curragh Charity Cycle was the brainchild of Gavin Lynch, who in thinking up the idea did so in memory of his mother Olive, who like Pat Smullen,...

Al Shira'aa Racing, headed by Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will sponsor the Listed Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Oaks Trial at Naas Racecourse on Wednesday, June 22. Prize-money for the 10-furlong contest will be increased to €52,500. Kieran Lalor, General Manager of Al Shira'aa Racing, said, "When Eamonn [McEvoy] approached us with the opportunity to sponsor the Oaks Trial, the boss was delighted to get on board, especially with the fact that the race, in a relatively short period of time, has already translated into Oaks...

Coolmore and Westerberg's hitherto unbeaten 2-year-old filly Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never--Pembina {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) impressed with a 3 1/4-length debut tally tackling five furlongs at the Curragh last month and was equally adept over the six-furlong strip at Naas to secure Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. en route to next month's G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot. Positioned in a close second after the initial strides, the 2-1 joint-favourite loomed large passing the quarter-mile marker and came under a late drive to assert superiority...