Sunday Service: Horses to follow from Naas including Wingmen

By Matt Brocklebank

Horse Racing

Mon January 06, 2025 · 1d ago

Matt Brocklebank picks the bones out of the feature races at Naas on Sunday and wonders whether a Martin Pipe plan could be taking shape.

There are no weak Grade 1 races in Ireland these days and while the Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle doesn’t carry quite the same sort of lustre as one or two others in the division staged at the better-known Festivals throughout the year, it’s nearly always an extremely informative contest.

In fact, having been won by the likes of Mikael D’haguenet, Monksland, Rule The World, Bellshill, Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger since the turn of the century, the race has developed almost a cult following and this year’s ‘hipster choice’ going into it was unquestionably Supersundae, who was punted from an admittedly ridiculous opening 20/1 after final decs on Friday to an SP of 6/1, having touched 9/2 on raceday morning.

The six-year-old - a half-brother to the high-class, Jessica Harrington-trained Supasundae and from the same family as Nathaniel - ran a belter too, shaping really well in second having been given every chance by Patrick Mullins to fully see it out in the gruelling conditions, on what was the horse’s return to competitive action.

A one-paced seventh on debut for Willie Mullins in last year’s Sky Bet Supreme before landing skinny odds in a Ballinrobe maiden over two miles and five furlongs on his only other start last year in May, he looks destined to be plying his trade over three miles before long.

The intermediate-trip Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival (Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle) is a dead obvious next port of call for Supasundae and at the end of the day he remains a 25/1 shot for the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham which isn’t a bad price at all seeing as trainer Gordon Elliott strongly hinted that Lawlor’s winner The Yellow Clay would be trained for the Turners and likely be kept fresh in the hope of some better ground in March.

Now four from four over hurdles and clearly open to further development having looked a promising individual in some of the best bumpers around last season, it’s hard to knock a horse like The Yellow Clay, especially as he’s also versatile in terms of ground, but he doesn’t bowl you over quite like Ballyburn, for example, had done at this stage last season. Or Impaire Et Passe the year before that.

The New Lion looks to be the standard-bearer when it comes to potential Turners contenders this time around and The Yellow Clay surely won’t have the natural pace to live with that one if they both turn up.

The slightly darker horse to take from Sunday’s feature at Naas has to be Elliott’s second-string Wingmen in the same Bective Stud ownership as the winner. He was a bit outclassed when it mattered but showed up well for a long way and - like so many Lawlor’s Of Naas horses before him - looks all about chasing further down the line.

In the shorter-term, Elliott will no doubt look to run him in the same DRF race as mentioned for Supersundae, but the real challenge will be whether or not he could squeeze in a fifth run and tee up a shot at the Martin Pipe.

This particular Festival rule change was always going to make it much trickier to get novices qualified in time for the Festival, but a mid-November start for Wingmen, coupled with the early trip to Cheltenham for their pre-Christmas meeting, has given connections half a chance and, having claimed his third career win in the race last March, you do sort of sense that if anyone can, then Elliott can.

WATCH: The Yellow Clay beats Supersundae and Wingmen

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Earlier on, redemption arrived for Ile Atlantique, who looked unfortunate to be mugged close home by Readin Tommy Wrong in last year’s Lawlor’s Of Naas and had lost his way a little over hurdles when well beaten by Ballyburn at Cheltenham, Brighterdaysahead at Aintree and Mystical Power at Punchestown in the spring.

A new season and a new discipline reignited the horse’s enthusiasm when off the mark at the first time of asking over fences in a beginners’ event at Navan last month, and the big question going into Sunday’s Racing Post Novice Chase was whether or not that was another false dawn.

Ultimately, the now seven-year-old dashed those concerns with a very assured performance, Paul Townend content to just take a lead (the agony of last year perhaps on his mind) and take his time before exerting control after a big jump at the ditch - six from home.

Favourite Inthepocket didn’t fire at all, in truth, and looked to be hanging quite badly, while Firefox seemed to get a bit stuck in the mud, with Elliott stating afterwards that he could now be kept fresh for the Arkle at Cheltenham. Having said that, despite brushing through the top of the second-last, it was a commanding display from Ile Atlantique and it was no surprise to see the 20/1 Cheltenham quotes come tumbling down.

A revised 8/1 for the Arkle would look quite tempting in a typical year but that just doesn’t seem to be the case, with Sir Gino and Majborough battling for supremacy in the same division and it’d need to be a very wet day one of the Cheltenham Festival for this horse to be seen in his best light.

Maybe Mullins will toy with the idea of keeping him closer to home for the remainder of the season and the big two-mile race at the DRF – where he seems likely to meet Majborough - will obviously be more revealing.

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