Tony Keenan is back with a look ahead to today's Royal Ascot trials card at Naas - he has two selections to consider.
Irish racing tips: Sunday May 17
0.5pts win New Radical in 13:56 Naas at 28/1 (General)
1pt win Solana Beach in 15:26 Naas at 3/1 (General)
It is Royal Ascot Trials Day at Naas, and most of the obvious trials for Ascot take place on the sprint track, something that presents a challenge for punters. The straight track at Naas tends to produce transient draw biases, typically favouring the near side on slower ground, but then there was a meeting eight days ago where low numbers dominated.
The ground is unknown, given as good as of 8am, but rain is forecast to start mid-morning and hang around through the meeting. Perhaps the races on the round track, several of them interesting, make more punting appeal.
Guardian Of Realm heads the betting for the Twydil/Clovelly Irish EBF Fillies Maiden at 15:26 but may be worth opposing. Her stable had a double yesterday but have been quiet in the first quarter of the flat season but more concerning is the waywardness she showed last time at Dundalk. The first-time hood will need to settle her.
Elmakaya caught the eye on debut, but that form has not worked out, and her yard are also quiet, so the preference is for SOLANA BEACH. She was second at Gowran 25 days ago but should have finished closer to the 98-rated winner, going fine when trying for a gap on the inner over two furlongs out before getting squeezed out.
She had to be taken back and switched for a run, picking up well under tender handling and posting the fastest final furlong sectional in the race per Course Track, shaping clear second best. The extra furlong is an unknown, but she should be favourite for this.
The opening Royal Ascot Trials at Naas Rated Race (13:56) is a strong race of its type where a host of maiden winners take on one with proven handicap form in Bobby McGee. It is possible that the first group of horses has been put in too high in the weights and the solid, hardened one may have an edge, only going up five pounds for a premier handicap win over course and distance last time.
Bobby McGee looks a little overpriced and NEW RADICAL is another interesting one at a big price. He built on a decent debut at Dundalk to win at Bellewstown last time, coming from near last and having to wait for a run before picking up sharply, pulling clear a long way with one that was race-fit and had good form. The distant fourth from that race has won since and he looks a big price.
The Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes at 15:56 could be a ground race, with Expanded one that looks best suited by an ease given his marked round action. The English runner Native Warrior might be more versatile in that regard, and he shaped well on return in France, only caught by a very late closer.
Perhaps the best Ascot trial at this meeting recently has been the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes (16:26), the likes of Fairy Godmother, Porta Fortuna and Meditate winning the Albany Stakes subsequently.
Victorious looks the one to beat here, winning well over course and distance last time despite hitting numerous ridges on the say, though that is in her price.
Her stablemate Charles Darwin also looks solid in the Goffs Lacken Stakes at 16:56, brushing off a long absence to win the Committed at Navan last time and likely to improve plenty for that run, though the Cheveley Park form of Havana Anna looks better now and she is two from two at the track.
The last, the Listed Sole Power Sprint at 17:26, has 12 runners, and five of them met in the Woodlands Stakes over course and distance 20 days ago. Mission Central and Likedbymike were first and second, drawn 15 and 13, and their high draws looking a big advantage. Mission Central is drawn high again in stall 11 but it remains to be seen if the sprint track will again favour high numbers.
A couple of horses drawn low that evening look a bit overpriced, for all their stalls today could ruin their chances again. Kerdos did second best of those drawn low that evening and that was his best run for Stephen Thorne, while Moss Tucker was a lot more involved in the race than his tenth-place finish suggests, showing good pace on the far side for a while.
A previous Group 1 winner, that was his first run in 555 days, and his stable are going better than for much of the past couple of years while he also has a fine record at the track, form figures: 121 before that last, needed run.
Preview published at 08:45 BST on 17/05/26
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