ROYAL Ascot Trials Day at Naas last Sunday might live up to billing this year, and the track more than holds its own in producing winners at that prestige fixture: of the 441 Royal Ascot winners since 2010, 13 had their previous start at Naas, third overall among Irish courses, the Curragh a clear first with 42 winners, Leopardstown next with 14, Navan a distant fourth with four.

The influence of Naas has been growing lately, however, with seven winners at the royal meeting having their last start there since 2020 while its importance in the juvenile races is clear, eight of the 13 Ascot winners that prepped at Naas being two-year-olds, the straight track at both venues not dissimilar.