Cromwell hoping Ciao will say goodbye to the opposition
Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Gavin Cromwell will bid for another big race success this weekend at the opening day of the flat season at Naas on Sunday.
Cromwell will send Ciao for the €100,000 Tote Irish Lincolnshire at the Kildare track and the four-year-old will have the notable assistance of Chris Hayes in a 20-strong field.
Ciao is among several runners with a fitness edge from action at Dundalk winning two of her last three starts, the latest success came just nine days ago.
GAVIN CROMWELL
"She is going into the race off the back of a win at Dundalk so she is obviously in good form," Cromwell said.
"It is a little bit of an unknown about the ground, but she is in good nick and hopefully she will run a good race.
"I don't think dropping back to a mile will be a problem for her," he added.
Ger Lyons, who was successful with Brendan Brackan in 2017, saddles two horses headed by English recruit Karawaan and Tony The Gent.
The Kiltale-based trainer and Trim jockey Colin Keane will be hoping to make a good start to the new campaign - Keane laso has a number of mounts for trainer Damien English.
GER LYONS AND COLIN KEANE
Kilmessan's Matthew Smith will have Naas 'specialist' Warnaq in contention while Robbie Colgan will be on board Quizical for Sheila Lavery who also has the first reserve in Magnetic North.
Aussie Valentine heads a two strong assault by Adrian McGuinness as he looks to reach the frame in the Lincoln for the fifth year in succession.
Another who comes here in excellent shape from a winter campaign at Dundalk is Theobald who will bid to give Jim Bolger his first Irish Lincoln victory since Cielamour in 1990.
Leading English trainer Richard Fahey saddles three horses in his bid to become the first overseas trainer to lift this prize.
Young trainer Damien English will be hoping to strike gold with another of his bargain buys. Trading Point makes his debut for the trainer since his 6,000gns purchase last autumn and English reports the three-time winner to be in good shape for his first assignment since June.
"He is a lovely horse and he hasn't put a foot wrong since we got him. He was a colt when he came to us so we gelded him straight away and he has settled into the routine here lovely," said English.
"He is lacking a recent run but so are a lot of the runners in the race and he is as fit as we can have him.
"He goes to the beach three times a week, does a gallop away from home and does a bit of swimming.
"We are still pinching ourselves to think that we've got him for six grand. We definitely think there is a Premier Handicap in Trading Point so whether it is the Lincoln or not we'll have to find out on Sunday but he should win a big pot this summer."
An action-packed afternoon at Naas will begin with the first race at 1.30pm which is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for two-year-olds in which Meath handler Michael Mulvany has two runners - The King Of Kells and In From The Cold.
Racegoers to Naas on Sunday will get the opportunity to witness six champion jockeys.
Ryan Moore takes a number of rides for Aidan O'Brien, while also riding at Naas on Sunday is the 12-time National Hunt jockey Ruby Walsh who has a rare ride on the Flat in the Kildare Post & Kildare Now Maiden over six furlongs.
Twice British champion jockey Paul Hanagan will ride for Richard Fahey while Irish champion jockeys Donnacha O'Brien and Meath duo Colin Keane and Declan McDonogh are all in action.
DECLAN MCDONOGH
Naas Racecourse is also delighted to announce that leading jockey Chris Hayes will be teaming up with Naas to write a regular blog for naasracecourse.com throughout the 2019 Flat season.