Naas Sunday Preview - 08/01/22

The first race on the afternoon is the Mares Beginners Chase over 2m4f and Telmesomethinggirl looks to have a big opportunity to get off the mark.

A very smart novice hurdler when landing the Grade Two Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the 2021 Cheltenham festival, she didn't quite find the same form in open company last year when being bought down in the Mares Hurdle when travelling well and then falling at the Punchestown festival.

Top rated 145 as a hurdler, she was sent chasing this term and has only been seen on one occasion when second to the smart Glengouly.

She will improve for that first outing and although Mullins has two nice runners in this event aswell, she should be tough to beat if putting it all together.

Next up is the two mile Novice Chase

Second in the 2020 Champion Bumper to stablemate Ferny Hollow, the eight year old has had a perfect career since, thriving since going over hurdles.

Handily winning his maiden at Cork, he was swiftly moved onto graded company and duly obliged by winning the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. Travelling strongly throughout, he established his lead bypassing the last and skipped clear on the run-in to victory. 

He them backed that run up over the same course and distance at the Dublin Racing Festival, fending off the challenge of Ballyadam to take Grade One honours again. 

Appreciate It was then seen making it a hat-trick of Grade Ones when breezing clear in the 2021 Supreme Novices' Hurdle to win by 24 lengths.

Set to go chasing last term a set back scuppered those plans, with Mullins stating he would stay over hurdles with the Champion Hurdle a key target.

Making his seasonal debut in the race was always going to leave him with a lot to find and it worked out that way when tailing off into seventh.

This season he finally made his seasonal debut over fences at Punchestown when beating Top Bandit by an easy seven lengths.

Although harbouring a 6lb penalty today, he should win this event and improve for another spin over the bigger obstacles.

The feature event of the afternoon on Sunday is the Grade One Lawlor's Of Naas Novice Hurdle and we can't look past the favourite Grangeclare West.

A horse with a big reputation off the back of being bought for £340,000 in December 2020 having bolted up in a point to point.

He made his rules debut at Punchestown in May 2021, when going on to score easily by nine lengths, never having to do too much to win.

Suffering a setback and obviously not being easy to train he never appeared last season for his hurdles debut, but having been given time he returned this term for that timber debut and over 2m4f went on to bolt up by 12 lengths.

Looking a stayer in the making he has seen quotes of 8/1 from 33/1 for the Ballymore and then 16/1 into 5/1 favourite for the Albert Bartlett.

Big talent that will look to extend his credentials for the Cheltenham festival.

The final selection of the afternoon from Punchestown comes in the two mile Maiden Hurdle and this race presents a big opportunity for Hunters Yarn to get off the mark.

A smart bumper horse landing his last two starts on the level, this season he was sent hurdling by Mullins and made a fair seasonal debut when a close third of 20 at Punchestown at the end of November.

He should have learnt a lot for that experience and he only seems to have the Gordon Elliott trained Found A Fifty to beat in this one.

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