3 Grade Two races at Naas

as usual, the best racing on a Sunday comes from Ireland, where Naas stage one of their top meetings with 3 Grade Two races. However with all due respect, these have very poor fields for this grade, and one has to question the point of such races only 16 days before the big Cheltenham Festival, where all the top Irish jumpers will be in action. Two of the graded races have only 3 runners, and Mozoltov (Willie Mullins/ Bryan Cooper) Looks a near certainty to win the novice chase at 15.50 CET. Ruby has no ride here, as Mozoltov is owned by Gigginstown, but he can watch his sister Katie take third place on their father´s Summer Star. Even with only 3 runners, the 2 mile chase at 17.00 is the best race of the day, as thewy are all useful. Days Hotel (Henry de Bromhead/ Andrew Lynch) won thisd last year, but was well beaten by Twinlight (Mullins/ Walsh) when they last met, so the Irish champion can complete a treble here as he also has good prospects in the novice hurdle at 14.25, where he saddles City Slicker (Tony McCoy) and Vicky de l´Oasis (Walsh). Mullins has expressed some reservations about City Slicker handling the track, and that implies that Vicky, who as the only mare in the field, gets a useful weight allowance, is his best hope
Easily the best race at the two U.K. meetings is the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle over 2 1/2 miles at Fontwell at 16.10..Paul Nicholls sends a strong team to Fontwell and can take this with Saphir du Rheu (Daryl Jacob), who has won his last 3 races and is clear top-rated. He still has an entry in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham, but is most unlikely to run as Nicholls has 3 stronger candidates tfor that event. We don´t fancy Meister Eckhardt (Alan King/ Robert Thornton), who has only run once since a good effort at Cheltenham last year, while Kayf Moss (Jon and Rhys Flint) has won his last two races very easily, but at a much lower level. That leaves Chris Pea Green (Gary and Josh Moore), who has smart handicap form over 2 miles, as the one most likely to follow the favourite home.
At Towcester, Take The Mick (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) makes a quick reappearance after an easy win at Ludlow on Wednesday; he has no penalty for that victory and as long as those exertions have not taken too much out of him, should not be troubled to score again.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Shield - Prince Of Lombardy - Katie T
2. Race: O Maonlai - Cassells Rock - Getoutwhenyoucan
3. Race: Folsom Blue - Summer Star - Folsom Blue
4. Race: City Slicker - Vicky De L`oasis - Minella Foru
5. Race: Toner D`Oudairies - Days Hotel - Toner D`Oudairies
6. Race: Witness Of Fashion - Sword Fish - Carry Each Other
7. Race: Killultagh Vic - Golantilla - Red House Hill