2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday Tips – DS
2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday Preview
We started badly on Saturday but things improved. Straw Fan Jack ran no sort of race and it was a similar story with Dripsey Moon. Nube Negra ran well but a mistake three out knocked the stuffing out of him. Charlie Uberalles landed our first place of the day at 66s and then our NAP, Strong Leader, managed to nick place money too, despite the best efforts of his jockey. We go again tomorrow, check out Dave Stevos’ 2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday tips below.
2.10 Naas – Limestone Lad Hurdle (Grade 3)
If Zarak The Brave is even at 80% of his best he should win this. However, he was an even shorter price last time at Tipperary back in October and pulled up. After that race the vet said he was ‘clinically abnormal’ but I couldn’t find any other information as to why he ran so badly.
After seeing how the Mullins’ horses ran at Cheltenham on Sunday, he’ll most likely be back in much better form now. If he can repeat the form of his two seconds behind Lossiemouth, he’ll probably win this doing handstands.
Potential Improver
Although he has tasted defeat on both Irish starts so far, Golden Joy is the potential improver in here. He has the look of a typical Gordon Elliott handicap horse for Cheltenham but he’ll need a better run here than he produced last time out to get a mark high enough to qualify.
The heavy ground French winner looked green on his Irish debut. He tried to run off the first bend and Jack Kennedy had to administer a reminder to keep his mind on the job. He was still bang there jumping the last but Smooth Tom had his measure and he ended up losing second on the line.
Too Keen
Last time in a G3 at Fairyhouse he was too keen and he faded badly into fourth after the second last hurdle, finishing 23L behind Risk Belle. That was a far stronger heat than this one and with Doyen To Win likely to set a fast pace here, hopefully he can settle better.
Telmesomethinggirl probably wants better ground than this and so would Banntown Girl. As I said earlier, if Zarak The Brave is right, he’ll win but second is up for grabs and at odds of 11/1, Golden Joy is just about big enough to back e/w.
2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday Tip: Golden Joy e/w @ 11/1
2.35 Doncaster – Warfield Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Anthony Honeyball’s horses are in good shape at the moment. He runs Coquelicot here and while she has a bit to find on the figures, I don’t think she should be a 33/1 shot. She didn’t produce her best when last sighted at Cheltenham (20f sft) but on her last start on a flat track over 24f on decent ground, she absolutely hacked up in a Listed contest at Kempton.
She earned a rating of 132 for that pillar to post win and I think that her Cheltenham run may have come too soon after that effort. Honeyball has given her a nice little 43 day break since that outing and she tries the tongue tie/visor combination for the first time.
Opposition
Tweed Skirt is rated 4lbs higher than Coquelicot but this will be her first run over hurdles for almost two years. Theatre Glory has stamina to prove, as does You Wear It Well. Coquelicot beat West Balboa when they met in a handicap in December 2022 and while the Skelton mare is 6lbs better off, it wouldn’t surprise me if there wasn’t a lot between them again.
Marie’s Rock is the 13/8 fav and she has by far the best form in the race. She’ll enjoy the nice ground and she is definitely the one they all have to beat. However, the rest of the field are much of a muchness and at the odds, it is worth taking a chance that Coquelicot can sneak second.
2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday Tip: Coquelicot e/w @ 33/1
2.45 Naas – Finlay Ford Novices’ Chase (Grade 3)
My eyes lit up earlier when I saw that Sandor Clegane was a double figure price for this race. However, the money has already come and the value has gone.
Embassy Gardens could be vulnerable as he is 0/2 going left handed over hurdles, beat 9L in a maiden and pulled up at 8/1 in the Albert Bartlett. He has form figures of 2161 going to the right so it’ll be fascinating to see what happens this afternoon. He might just be worth laying.
However, with just two places on offer I am going to leave this race alone. No bet.
2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday Tip: No Bet
3.05 Doncaster – SBK Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)
The one I’ll take a chance on at a nice price here is Crossing The Bar. Trained by Neil Mulholland, Joe Anderson takes off a handy 5lbs. That means the 7yo son of Poet’s Voice is effectively racing off 109 here. That’s 5lbs lower than he was for his last win at Plumpton back in April and 3lbs lower than he was when winning at the same track in February.
Mulholland’s charge actually ran in this race last year on similar ground to today’s. Running off 112, he was still travelling nicely after the fourth last but on the turn for home a horse in front of him unseated and badly hampered him, causing Richie McClernon to unseat too.
Joe Anderson has had two rides for these owners, landing a win and a place. His record for Mulholland is also impressive, 7 wins from 34 rides with 14 top 4 finishes. He had a sighter on him at Chepstow last time and if he can coax a clear round of jumping out of his mount, Crossing The Bar is capable of hitting the frame at odds of 20/1.
2024 Naas & Doncaster Sunday Tip: Crossing The Bar e/w @ 20/1 NAP (4 places)
3.45 Naas – Punchestown Qualifier Handicap Hurdle (0-123)
Dragon’s Pass has flopped the last twice since winning at Thurles on her reappearance but the return to Naas offers hope of a revival. Sneezy Foster’s daughter of Dragon Pulse won that race off 97 with Sam Ewing doing the steering and he returns to the saddle this afternoon.
She wasn’t disgraced last time at Punchestown (19f hvy), finishing 8th of 17, 13L behind the winner Petit King. That was another qualifier for Punchestown so the fact she is running in another one suggests that Foster is keen to get her into the final.
This mare has run twice at Naas and they were both fine efforts in March of last year. She was beat 0.75L off 90 on her first visit (15.5f sft), staying on well. It was a similar story when she finished fifth off 93 over 16.5f a couple of weeks later, shaping as though a bit further would suit. She gets that extra distance today and with Ewing back in the plate, Dragon’s Pass is worth chancing e/w.
