Naas tips: Castra Vetera to edge rivals
Castra Vetera can come out on top in a competitive maiden hurdle. Picture: Healy Racing.
The Happy Christmas From Naas Mares’ Maiden Hurdle is the feature on this afternoon’s National Hunt card and it has the potential to be a superb race, in which Castra Vetera is marginally preferred to Royal Illussion, Delvino and Roseys Hollow.
The selection, trained by Joseph O’Brien, was a winner on her bumper debut, beating useful sorts Carrigeen Lotus and More Info quite readily. She finished in midfield second time up, in a Grade 2, but it was a slowly run race and she was never in position to produce her best.
She got back to winning ways at this track, beating Royal Kahala by half a length, and that rival showed the form in good light when winning a bumper third time up and following up in a maiden hurdle. Castra Vetera then made her seasonal debut in a listed bumper and made all for a facile success.
A half-sister to Mystic Theatre who was better over hurdles than in bumpers, she can make an immediate mark over obstacles on her way to much better things.
Royal Illusion won two bumpers in 2018 but had her National Hunt ambitions put on hold to embark on a Flat career. She won three of 11 in that sphere and comes here fit from three outings on the level, including finishing third in the November handicap on the most recent of them. She is very talented and not to be dismissed lightly but is turning nine and sporting a tongue-tie for the first time today.
Willie Mullins should take the opener, the Irish Field Supporting Irish Racing Maiden Hurdle, with Echoes In Rain. A winner on the Flat in France, she began last season quite late and thus was pitched straight in at the deep end for a Grade 2 juvenile hurdle won by Aspire Tower. She returns in much calmer waters today and can secure her first jumps success.
Longhouse Poet can take the Ballymore Beginners’ Chase for Martin Brassil. Thus far the classy hurdler has been a shade disappointing over fences, including last time out when no match whatsoever for Janidil. However, he remains open to improvement and can get off the mark at the third time of asking.
Lord Royal can follow him home. He was probably on his way to victory until falling in a race won by Eurobot and, while he looks a nice prospect for chasing, this is a tougher task.
12:25 Echoes In Rain
12:55 Castra Vetera (nap)
1:25 Ensel Du Perche
2:00 Monty’s Mission
2:30 Longhouse Poet (nb)
3:05 Weihnachts
3:35 Take Tea
12:25 Whowonthetoss
12:55 Royal Illusion
1:25 Pictures Of Home
2:00 Golden Symphony
2:30 Lord Royal
3:05 Espion De Chenet
3:35 Mi Lighthouse
