Naas Wednesday preview

A near €10,000 jackpot rollover may well tempt a few punters at today’s meeting at Naas, and several trainers with big Cheltenham hopes are represented during the afternoon.

Dermot Weld is set to saddle two high-profile contenders for next week’s Festival bumper, and is responsible for the likely favourite for the second of two races in that category today. His newcomer Fort Defiance is a well-bred son of Dalakhani, and with ground conditions drying out all the time he may be capable of obliging at the first time of asking.

Gagewell Flyer has been off the track for almost exactly a year since finishing down the field in last year’s Festival Bumper, but that is unlikely to prevent bookmakers putting the Deploy gelding in short for the 2m3f maiden hurdle. Taking Stock and Bootlegger have already shown enough ability to suggest they are well capable of taking advantage of any ring-rustiness or jumping mistakes from Willie Mullins’ charge.

Forestside caught the eye when making late progress into third behind Grey Soldier at today’s venue last month, and provided French import Sweet My Lord isn’t a superstar can go a couple of place better in the opening 2m maiden.

Categories: Horse racing