Robbie Power’s Weekend Preview

From a fans point of view some races at Naas on Saturday could have graded status due the quality of racing.

Naas – Saturday
I’m on Neverushacon in the Grade 3 Popular Square Chase and he’ll be up against it with horses like Ball D’arc and American Tom who are bringing a good level of form into the race.

My horse ran over 2½ at Down Royal last week and he drops back to 2 miles on Saturday. A stiff two miles at Naas should be much more to his liking but running left handed isn’t ideal for him either so he has a tough task and hopefully he can pick up a bit of prize money.

At the start of the season I flagged up a few horses to watch and one of the dark horses I mentioned was Someday who I ride in the Maiden Hurdle at 1.45 Naas on Saturday.

He’s a horse we like a lot, he won a bumper impressively at Leopardstown last year and the softer the better for him so he’ll love the ground. He’s in very good form but this looks a hell of a Maiden Hurdle too with Next Destination, Pallasator and Paloma Blue amongst the competitors. But Someday has a bit of experience as well having ran around Punchestown back in May. He ran a little bit disappointingly but the ground that day was too quick for him so the trip and ground on Saturday will play into his hands a bit better and I hope he can put up a bold show.

Jett is in good from ahead of the Beginners Chase at 3.30. He had some in and out form last year over fences. He was 2nd in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown and has plenty of experience but once again these races are hotting up at this time of year and he’ll be up against the likes of Bacardys and De Plotting Shed. I was on a panel with Noel Meade last week and he was impressed with the way Snow Falcon has been schooling over fences as well so he’ll be a very interesting recruit to the chasing game.

Navan – Sunday
I ride Theophilus for the first time in the Handicap Hurdle on Sunday for Dessie McDonagh. He’s got some decent form although some of his runs last season weren’t incredibly inspiring but hopefully a big galloping track like Navan will suit him.

Gordon Elliott probably holds the key to the Novice Hurdle with Mengli Khan and Morgan but the Maiden Hurdle at Naas on Saturday is probably a better race than this graded one!

The Lismullen Hurdle will be a good watch with Jer’s Girl going up against Apple’s Jade.

I actually rode Jer’s Girl at Leopardstown when she was a three-year-old and Apple’s Jade beat her by a short head. She had a good run on the flat at Roscommon at the start of the season and was a bit disappointing next time but the trip at Navan will suit her and if there’s a day for her to beat Apple’s Jade it could be Sunday.

There’s a disappointing line up for a race with the stature of the Fortria at 2.10 on Sunday.
It’s the race Moscow Flyer used to start his campaign in and I won this race with Big Zeb before but none of these could match those two. The race deserves a better field but The Game Changer has been running well and maybe Henry de Bromhead’s Alisier d’Irlande could win it.

I rode him before on soft and heavy ground and going left handed on this ground will be up his street, so maybe he could a win a pot he wouldn’t normally win.