Saturday racing preview: Florida Bay should have enough at Naas

The son of Mehmas looks a dour stayer.

Florida Bay and Jack Cleary win for trainer Aidan O'Brien at Fairyhouse. Pic: Healy Racing

Sat, 04 Jul, 2026 - 07:53

John Ryan

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Florida Bay should prove a tough nut to crack in the Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes, today’s listed feature in Naas.

A son of Mehmas, he has raced twice, looks a dour stayer and, form an inside draw, should prove tough to pass.

With Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan on ‘Eclipse’ duty in Sandown, stable apprentice Jack Cleary will renew his partnership with Florida Bay and, although unable to claim in this listed event, the Ballydoyle colt makes plenty of appeal.

Florida Bay made his debut in a seven-furlong Leopardstown maiden back in May and proved a real eye-catcher, staying on to finish a close third, beaten a length and a quarter.

That maiden was won by Fozzy Stack’s Nola Soul, who went on to land the ‘Chesham’ in Royal Ascot while subsequent ‘Windsor Castle’ victor King Of Cloughan filled the runner-up berth.

The selection delivered on that promise at Fairyhouse three weeks later. But he had to work to justify 8/15 favouritism, making virtually all and digging deep to beat Mudryk by a half-length, the pair finishing clear of the rest.

This stiff mile should play to Florida Bay’s strengths. And he’s a confident choice to follow-up, at the expense of Joseph O’Brien’s One Number, second to Celeron on debut at the Curragh before failing to figure in the ‘Windsor Castle’ in Ascot.

A battle-hardened sprinter, already successful on this track this season, Keke looks good in the five-runner, five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race.

Fifth, when favourite, to Kendall Roy in the listed ‘Midsummer Sprint’ in Cork last time, Eddie Lynam’s charge won in Naas off 92 before finishing a good third to Mission Central in the listed ‘Sole Power’ over this course and distance, form boosted when the winner bagged the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes in Royal Ascot.

Rated 102, he sets the standard here and, assuming there’s plenty fo early pace, Billy Lee should be able to deliver him late to register his eighth success.

In the finale, Joseph O’Brien’s highly-tried Yaupon De Replay, a listed winner on her debut in Fairyhouse and tried in Group 3 company on her seasonal debut in Chantilly, might have the edge over the progressive, ger Lyons-trained Ocean’s Breath.

Bellewstown stages the final leg of its three-day July meeting this evening. And the Willie Mullns-trained Beauvallon, rated 133, is difficult to oppose in the opening Dickie McGuinness Novice Hurdle.

This gelding has won two of his three starts since arriving from France, scoring at Limerick and at the Punchestown festival. And he should be capable of defying his double-penalty here.

And the Harry Kelly-trained Sir Vinny, the mount of Patrick Mullins, will be expected to reverse Punchestown debut form with Dee Bee Zed, one of four previous winners, in the bumper.

SELECTIONS

NAAS

John Ryan

1.22. Snowing

1.57. Keke (Nap)

2.33. Carry The Flag

3.08. Nouvel Espoir

3.44. Florida Bay (n.b.)

4.18. Mai Dahlia

4.53. Connecteo

5.30. Yaupon De Replay

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