NAAS Racecourse has attracted strong interest from British-based trainers as a limited number of racegoers are set to return to the Co Kildare track on Wednesday. The features are the Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes and the Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes.
The 23-strong entry for the Yeomanstown Stud-sponsored race includes Elysium, who is set to return to action for the first time this season. She won the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh last season, and the daughter of Belardo is now owned by George Strawbridge.
“We just had a little bit of a setback early on with an infection and we didn’t get a chance to run her,” reported Meade. “She’s now ready to run and she has a choice of the listed race at Naas or a race in Ascot on the Friday. It will depend on what the races look like and the ground looks like.
“She will definitely run next week so we have given her the entry for Naas. It is very exciting to be getting Elysium back out as she is a talented filly. It’s been annoying but we think we have her back on track. Colin Keane rode her in work the other day and he was very happy with her.”
Richard Fahey is no stranger to bringing runners to Naas and Ventura Diamond is his possible representative, while Tom Ward has included Mishal Star.
Joseph O’Brien is likely to be well represented in both feature races at Naas. The trainer, who recently surpassed 800 winners since changing careers, has Camdeboo and Russian River in the Yeomanstown race. “We are hoping to try and get some blacktype for Camdeboo and Russian River. They’re both intended runners,” O’Brien said on Thursday.
The trainer’s recent Fairyhouse winner Pennine Hills is set to make a quick return, and is one 11 fillies to have a win under their belt among the entries for the Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes.
Possible British interest comes from the Robert Cowell-trained duo of Angle Land and Dreams Of Thunder, while Karl Burke has also made two entries with Illustrating and Sophie’s Star.
Eamonn McEvoy, Naas Racecourse manager, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming the general public back on Wednesday for the first time since March last year. I think everyone can look forward to a smashing card with quality horses on show and I would also like to thank all our sponsors for their continued support.”
Hong Kong luring the world’s best horses
HONG Kong racing will offer record prizemoney of HK$1.46 billion (€1.6 billion) for the 2021/22 season, with the four Group 1 features on Longines Hong Kong International raceday offering a combined new high of HK$100 million (€11 million).
By elevating the Longines Hong Kong Cup’s prize money to HK$30 million (€3.3 million), the Hong Kong Jockey Club will stage the world’s richest Group 1 races over six, seven, eight and 10 furlongs on turf.
The Longines Hong Kong Mile and the Longines Hong Kong Sprint, which are already the most valuable Group 1 races over a mile and six furlongs on turf, will rise to HK$26 million (€2.8 million) and HK$24 million (€2.6 million) respectively.
The Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup is the most endowed seven-furlong contest in the world on turf at HK$12 million (€1.3 million). Hong Kong will also stage the world’s second most-valuable six-furlong Group 1 on turf in 2021/22, with the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, run on FWD Champions Day, worth HK$20 million (€2.2 million).
In addition, there will be generous increases across the whole prize money structure, with purses for Group 2 races and Group 3 races boosted by HK$250,000 (€27,250) and HK$200,000 (€22,000) respectively.
Japanese laboratory certified
IT was announced this week by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) that the Laboratory of Racing Chemistry, Japan (LRC) has been provisionally appointed as an IFHA Reference Laboratory.
Due to travel restrictions arising from the global Covid-19 pandemic, the remote assessment was conducted in place of an on-site assessment.
IFHA chairman Louis Romanet said: “The assessor appointed by the RLAC was very favourably impressed with the scientific expertise of the LRC staff and observed that the methods under assessment were carried out efficiently, and samples were analysed with a notable attention to detail.”
Under its provisional appointment, LRC joins Racing Analytical Services Limited (Australia); Laboratoire Des Courses Hippiques (France); LGC Group, Sport & Specialised Analytical Services (Britain); the Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Laboratory (Hong Kong); and the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, University of California at Davis (USA) as IFHA Reference Laboratories. Ireland currently does not have a laboratory on this list.