NAAS Racecourse will host an additional seven-race National Hunt card next Tuesday (April 16th) with racegoers admitted free of charge courtesy of the Irish National Professional Bookmakers Association [INPBA].

This replacement meeting was scheduled following the recent spell of heavy rain and a number of cancelled fixtures. The card will feature two maiden hurdles, four handicap hurdles and a bumper, with the first race due off at 1.30pm. The INPBA is also sponsoring all races.

Course and distance winner Iron Allen holds entries in both the Franco Hughes Bookmakers Novice Handicap Hurdle and the Daragh Fitzpatrick Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle for Ciaran Murphy.

The 125-rated Dr Eggman seems to set the standard in the Colm White Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle, while the concluding McManus Bookmakers Fillies INH Flat Race is an interesting looking contest.

The four-year-old only heat has attracted 10 entries with four of the runners having a previous run but there are some interesting newcomers engaged such as Blue Mosque for Noel Meade who is a half-brother to the highly rated Sixshooter.

Rickey Gernon, INPBA secretary, said: “After losing a few meetings due to weather lately it is great to have an extra card added to the calendar at Naas next Tuesday. The INPBA is delighted to get involved by sponsoring the card and the gate, so we hope people can come along and enjoy a free day of jump racing.”

Ryan McElligott, CEO of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, added: “We are very grateful to all involved in getting this additional fixture put into Naas next week. It’s great to be able to afford this cohort of the equine population a chance to run following what has been a very difficult time for racecourses, trainers, owners and the industry as a whole, due to the weather.”