Naas review and free video replays: emotional win for Glen Kiln

'I couldn't talk, I couldn't walk, all I could do was cry'

There was an appropriate winner of the Naas Racecourse Business Club Limestone Lad Hurdle as Glen Kiln (4/1) made every yard in the two mile Grade 3 contest, carrying the Bowe family colours made famous by the hugely popular Limestone Lad.

The order barely changed for most of the contest with Brian Hayes taking the field along aboard Glen Kiln with Farren Glory and Champion Hurdle entry Workahead - having his first run since disappointing in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle - for company.

Workahead was not the only one of the seven making a belated seasonal return with Kel Histoire and Karbau (evens favourite) in the same camp.

The Willie Mullins-trained pair were more patiently ridden in the testing ground and although Kel Histoire struggled to make significant inroads, Karbou crept stealthily closer and emerged as the nearest pursuer but the racefit Glen Kiln was not for passing, sticking to his task to win by a length.

Hayes told Racing TV this race had been the plan since Glen Kiln, trained by Harry Kelly, had chased home El Fabiolo at Punchestown.

"To win his own race here at Naas was extra special," he said. "When I got off him the last day at Punchestown, John [Bowe] said the Limestone Lad would be a nice target for him.

"His jumping is good when he's in front and he had a fitness edge on the rest of them as well.

"I would think he'd be a nice novice [chaser] to go to war with next year and John was thinking he might give him an entry in the Aintree Hurdle as well."

A visibly emotional Michael Bowe said: "I couldn't talk, I couldn't walk, all I could do was cry, I got very emotional because you breed them and you rear them and you bring them to this; I was thrilled to bits.

"People kept saying to me 'you'll never have another one like Limestone' but this fellow is coming up, he'll improve again and he'll make some chaser. It doesn't get any better than this.

"Knowing how genuine the horse is, I think making the running helps him. If you were to go to the sales and pick a horse out, you'd pick him out, he's a model of a horse and a lovely horse and we're very lucky to have him."

Gold for Argento and a Champion Bumper favourite

Mullins and Townend went one better in the Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase when Argento Boy (5/2 favourite) battled to a two and a half length success over Bossofthebrownies with the pair finishing clear of The Enabler in third.

Argento Boy fell on his chase bow in December before opening his account over three miles at Punchestown on the last day of the month. Stepped up to Grade 3 company in a race Mullins has won with Dancing City and Embassy Gardens in the last two renewals, Argento Boy showed a willing attitude.

Townend said: "He travels much better over fences and actually takes on a fence, over hurdles he was having a nice time for himself I think. He definitely tries a bit harder over fences and he stays really strongly."

When asked whether connections had considered fitting Argento Boy with headgear, Townend replied: "At some stage possibly but it's hard to put it on when he's winning.

"Going out I'd have thought he'd rather have it on sooner rather than later but the feeling I got from him throughout the race and he races with a lot more enthusiasm than he had done the last time I rode him. I'd say [he'd race] as far as you'd want him to go I reckon. Staying is his main attribute and there are races you can target him at."

Looking ahead to Punchestown on Monday, he added: "Himself [Doctor Du Mesnil] and the other maiden [Leader D'Allier], the two of them ran creditably over Christmas and you'd be hoping they'll step forward from it; two nice rides."

Argento Boy was completing a treble on the card for the trainer following the wide margin success of Love Sign D'Aunou (5/4 favourite) who won the bumper by 24 lengths under Patrick Mullins and Kai Lung who took the opener (see below).

Love Sign D'Aunou is the new 8/1 favourite with Sky Bet for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The successful jockey said: "We didn't expect him to do that, at home he's not very flashy hence why I rode him the way I did over two two but he was relentless.

"He has a high cruising speed and is able to keep it up and when I peaked through my legs at the third last, I couldn't believe how strung out they were. I thought he'd win but I didn't think he'd win like that.

"Jasmin De Vaux won this bumper before Cheltenham but he'd be a very different type of horse; he was a quick horse whereas this fella would be more along the lines of Florida Pearl and those big three mile chasers.

"I always like it when one surprises you on the track and I'd be very surprised if he wasn't [on the boat to Cheltenham]."

Kai Lung lands Champions Hurdle

Fittingly, it briefly appeared as though the Nursery Of Champions Maiden Hurdle was going to be a Mullins benefit with his Kai Lung (6/1) leading under Danny Mullins with Gigginstown owned stablemates Mon Creuset (evens favourite) and Moulin Labbe (9/1) looming large in his wing mirror.

Mon Creuset, though, got the second last all wrong, ending any chance he held while not doing his stable and owner-mate any favours.

Lynches Knock came down the outside under a ride while Mark Walsh did his best to hold Saratoga together towards the inside on the very testing ground but - somewhat surprisingly given how keen he'd raced - Kai Lung kept pulling out more to win by two lengths.

Kai Lung was given quotes of 33/1 for the JCB Triumph Hurdle although recent renewals of this contest have had more bearing on the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 2024 winner Ndaawi finished third at Prestbury Park, Byker was a neck second in 2023 while Coltor was a close fifth in 2021.

David Casey, assistant trainer, told Racing TV: "Three nice horses, they've been working away well, just coming in and hoping one might win and just happy that they were all competitive.

"He had a bit of pace on the Flat. It wasn't the plan to make it but Danny said when he got there no one seemed to want to make it and he thought he might settle better in front. He settled well early but then he was a bit gassy but he stuck at it well; I thought it was a good performance in that ground."

When asked what Paul Townend had said about Mon Creuset in his debrief, Casey replied: "He said he still had plenty in the tank, he said he made a bad mistake and accepted it after that."

Diplomacy rewarded at Naas

Shuttle Diplomacy (11/4) opened his account over hurdles at the fourth time of asking in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.

Following his third place in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, few would have expected Shuttle Diplomacy to be a maiden deep into the season but he was pulled up at Galway in October before finishing over 40 lengths behind Sortudo the following month.

There was more promise on his latest start at Limerick where he chased home the impressive King Rasko Grey and Shuttle Diplomacy confirmed that he was on the way back with a smooth four and a quarter length defeat of 2/1 favourite Arcadian Emperor to earn a range of quotes for the Cheltenham Festival.

The delighted trainer, Tom Cooper, said: "I don't know what happened the first two days but got it all together there and he never come off the snaff there today.

"Did every test under the sun after Cork. We thought he didn't jump well enough the first day in Galway but I don't think it was the jumping either. We came up with nothing really but we put a tongue strap on him, if that's helped him or not I've no idea but he's just turned a corner.

"The winner just got first run in Limerick but we were very happy to get the result we got on the day and he [Daniel King] gave him a beautiful ride again today."

Shuttle Diplomacy is entered for all three of the novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival and Cooper is still weighing up his options.

"He's entitled to go back there I think, he was third there last year. It's a great thing there's speed and stamina in his pedigree so you'd have to look at the Turners. He's had four runs, would he be eligible for a handicap? That's another option as well but he'll definitely be there."

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