‘Lord’ to be saviour if Naas can overcome cold snap
AS IF the doom and gloom of Covid19 wasn’t bad enough, the recent cold snap is causing havoc for Irish racing with today’s Fairyhouse card already falling by the wayside while “the gods are going against” tomorrow’s marquee jumps meeting at Naas.
Fairyhouse is already rescheduled for next Tuesday, but the biggest casualty of the sub-zero temperatures may be the tasty card at the Kildare track featuring the Grade One Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle (2.30).
Naas racecourse manager Eamonn McEvoy is “hopeful” but expecting the worst with the track not fit for racing yesterday ahead of an afternoon inspection today (1.30) to deem whether they will get the green light to proceed. Should it be cancelled, next Wednesday is already penned in for the re-fixture.
There is another thrilling renewal in store should things proceed as a top-class field of nine bid to follow in the hoof prints of previous winners like Envoi Allen (2020), Bellshill (2016) and subsequent Aintree Grand National hero Rule The World (2013).
Ashdale Bob may not be favourite, despite cantering home to a Grade Two success at Navan last month, but Jessica Harrington’s six-year-old sets a high bar which others will have to reach, including Henry de Bromhead’s market leader Bob Olinger.
Bob Olinger has suffered just one career defeat – when chasing home Champion Bumper winner Ferny Hollow on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park in November – and carries plenty of hype after landing a maiden hurdle at Navan in good style when stepped up to tomorrow’s 2m4f trip.
The fly in the ointment comes in the shape of Willie Mullins’ Blue
Lord, though, with the French recruit making a pleasing Irish debut when scoring at Punchestown in November over the minimum trip and he can make it two from two for the red-hot champion trainer. With Appreciate It looking like the Clo sutton candidate for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Blue Lord could be tailor-made for the mix of speed and stamina in the Neptune as Mullins (left) revealed that “we think Grade One is the level he is up to”. There is not such good news for Mullins when it comes to Faugheen, however, as he is unlikely to make a Cheltenham Festival appearance this year, with the brilliant 13-year-old on the comeback trail having suffered a setback earlier this season. The 2015 Champion Hurdle hero tore the house down at Limerick and Leopardstown last season en route to Grade One successes having turned his attention to chasing late in life, but out Faugheen, of a sixth the question Festival third in appearance in last March. year’s Marsh looks Chase, met with a mishap and has not yet made his seasonal reappearance while assistant trainer Patrick Mullins also divulged that stablemate Douvan, another injury-prone Closutton star, is on the sidelines with no return in sight for the 11-year-old. “They’ve both had setbacks. Faugheen is in the yard, he got clipped during the week. Cheltenham, with his profile, is it going to be tough?” the trainer’s son said on Racing TV’s weekly ‘Road To Cheltenham’ show. “If it comes about, great, but I suppose Willie thought at the moment it’s unlikely. Douvan is in pre-training, he’s coming back from another setback, so at this stage it (Cheltenham) would be unlikely.”