Raiding Party Add Spice To Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes
A total of 35 entries have stood their ground for the €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas Racecourse on Monday with six British-trained entries among the acceptors.
This will be the sixth renewal of the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes and this year’s renewal could feature a strong contingent from across the Irish Sea with the race previously going for export when the Hugo Palmer-trained Golden Trick won two years ago.
The richest race of the year at Naas Racecourse has a winners prize of €110,000 with total prize money down to tenth place and one leading contender opted to skip Glorious Goodwood this week to favour a trip to Naas on Monday. The Paul & Oliver Cole trained Jel Pepper was third in Group 2 company last time when running in the Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes having made a winning debut at Goodwood previously and connections are excited about the prospect of tackling Monday's feature contest."Jel Pepper is a good horse who ran very well in the July Stakes and we have missed Goodwood with him to go to Naas," Oliver Cole said.
"It is great prize money and I believe the ground will be on the easy side of good which will play to his strengths as he likes a bit of a cut in the ground. It is quite daunting coming to Ireland because there are so many good horses but these races are fantastic and it is brilliant to have a horse good enough to take part.
"Alex Elliott who bought the horse has a skill to buy, the owner liked the pedigree and we were lucky enough to get sent the horse so we are on song and really looking forward to it."
Trainer Kevin Ryan went down by just half a length to the first British-trained winner of the race when Golden Trick beat Jungle Mate in 2023 but Ryan is set to return this Monday as he has left in recent Hamilton winner There’s A Chance and the Beverley scorer Tropical Dreamer.
George Scott is a trainer who makes no secret of targeting big prizes overseas and two-time winner Front Line Fury will represent the Newmarket conditioner whose only previous Irish runner was a winner at Killarney last season.
The recent Group 2 winner Green Sense would appear to spearhead the nine-strong challenge for trainer Joseph O’Brien.
Previously second in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Blackbeard Stakes at Naas, Green Sense is one of a number notable entries for the Piltown-based trainer in Monday’s feature, which he won with Voce Del Palio in 2022. O’Brien has also left in Fairyhouse winner Green Soul and Down Royal winner Summer Is Tomorrow.
Aidan O’Brien won the race last year with Heavens Gate and the first ever running in 2020 with Chief Little Hawk and will rely solely on Precise this time around, while Ger Lyons, who saddled Sacred Bridge to win the second edition of the race in 2021, will bid to win it for a second time with one of his four entries who are headed by course and distance winner By The Lake the Juddmonte owned newcomer Prevalence. Lyons has also left Howd’yadoit, a winner last time out at Down Royal and Naas runner-up Amiata.
Gavin Cromwell had to settle for the runner-up spot last year with the experienced Fiery Lucy but the dual purpose trainer may roll the dice on Monday for the lion’s share of €200,000 with the unraced Wicklow Gap.
Ireland’s youngest trainer Danny McLoughlin will aim to record the biggest triumph of his fledging career when he runs the Listowel winner Magny Cours, who was third in the Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes at Naas just last week, and stable companion Pints In Peace may also take his chance.
McLoughlin said: “It’s a good incentive to have with good prize money on offer and we are looking forward to it and I’m sure to try my hand with one of them at least. Magny Cours won at Listowel and Pints In Peace has been promising and he is probably my most likely runner.”
Racing at Naas begins with an intriguing renewal of the Ironxcell For Energy Race which includes the Paddy Twomey-trained Bonus Time and Johnny Murtagh’s debut winner Zuheila.
Racegoers will once again be in for a treat with plenty of action on and off the track. Naas Racecourse will once again have a Rugby Sweepstakes with lucky patrons picked out of a random draw and being assigned a runner in the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes with three exciting prizes.
The top prize is tickets to the 2025 Ireland v Australia Autumn Rugby International at the Aviva along with a hotel stay provided by Cassidy Travel. The racegoer assigned to the runner-up in the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes will enjoy an overnight stay in Lawlor’s Of Naas with Golden Tickets for Naas Racecourse, while the third placed prize is a VIP day at Naas Racecourse.
This year’s Ballyhane Stakes Day will also mark Naas Racecourse’s first-ever dedicated Neurodiverse Day. A wheelchair-accessible Sensory Express Bus will be on site, providing a mobile sensory room filled with calming features such as bubble tubes, colour-changing ball pools, waterwalls, and tactile elements. In addition, suites will be designated as quiet zones for families, equipped with ear defenders, sensory toys, and relaxing aids to offer a comfortable breakaway space when needed.
Looking ahead to Monday, Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud and Irish EBF Chairman, added: “Ballyhane Stud and the Irish EBF are proud to sponsor the sixth running of the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, which now boasts a total prize fund of €1.85 million distributed to connections of two-year-old's since 2020, which is a phenomenal accomplishment.
“We are grateful the race continues to be supported by owners and trainers from both sides of the Irish Sea, with six UK horses still standing from a total of 35 entries. This shows how a valuable race like the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes is a centrepiece for connections of two year olds to target each year.”
Foley added: “Naas Racecourse have a fantastic day lined up for race goers with the exciting Rugby Sweepstakes competition, their first-ever dedicated Neurodiverse Day and another chance to meet the ex-racehorse Briar Hill, which is in addition to hosting the most valuable race at Naas.”
Early bird tickets can be booked for €15 and more details can be found at naasracecourse.com.
