Graded races in Ireland

As usual, the best Sunday racing comes from Ireland, where there are two graded races at Naas. Both have small fields with a likely Willie Mullins favourite -but what else is new? In the novice hurdle at 16.20 CET Mullins saddles two of the 6 runners, with Max Dynamite (Ruby Walsh), once a classic hope in France, clearly preferred to Aminabad (Paul Townend), but All Hell Let Loose (Sandra Hughes/ Bryan Cooper), in the Gigginstown first colours, an obvious danger. In the 2 mile chase half an hour later Twinlight (Mullins/ Walsh) must concede 5 lbs to his 4 opponents, which will not be that easy. At the Leopardstown Christmas Meeting, he won well with Moscow Mannon (Henry de Bromhead/ Alfred Lynch) and Mallowney (Tom Doyle/ Davy Russell) back in 5th and 6th, but Mallowney has won impressively since, and as he is 3/3 at Naas, we give him a narrow vote.

The two U.K. cards are over jumps, at Southwell and Fontwell. The latter meeting goes ahead after an early morning inspection, but the going will be desperate and there are tiny fields. Main event is the Grade Two Nationbal Spirit Hurdle at 16.10, which has a pretty poor field considering the prestige of this event. German-bred Silsol (Paul Nicholls/ Sam Twiston-Davies) won the Welsh Champion Hurdle in good style - that is actually a handicap, but that form is still good enough here, especially as the Soldier Hollow gelding clearly loves heavy ground. Kilcooley (Charlie Longsdon/ Noel Fehily) is next best.

The most interesting race at Southwell is the novice hurdle at 16.00, in which the penalised Burtons Well (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) and Zip Top (John Ferguson/ AP McCoy) must concede 6 lbs to the other 11 runners, including the Queen´s late debutant Killiecrankie (Nicky Henderson/ Nico de Blonville), who has a very nice jumping pedigree. Burtons Well´s winning from from October reads very well, but we shall stick to Zip Top, as we have not forgotten that he once runner-up to Camelot in the Racing Post Trophy on the flat; that was quite a while ago, but he has also shown good form over hurdles.

Naas - betting forecast:
1. Race: A Hardy Nailer - Arctic Skipper - Hold The Line
2. Race: Lilshane - A Grey Matter - Miradane
3. Race: Bishops Road - Empire Of Dirt - Champagne James
4. Race: Max Dynamite - All Hell Let Loose - Lean Araig
5. Race: Mallowney - Twinlight - Moscow Mannon
6. Race: Jupitor - Kilcrea - West Of The Edge
7. Race: Tycoon Prince - Tombstone - Tycoon Prince