Doubles aplenty on Royal Ascot Trials Day at Naas

There was some quality racing at Naas over the weekend, with eight races on Sunday, which included two Group Three races and two Listed races. The main story on the day was a quartet of doubles for Ryan Moore, Aidan O’Brien, Henry De Bromhead and Ronan Whelan, who rode some double-figure outsiders to victory.

Read on for a full report of the Naas card, brought to you by BOYLE Sports, who provide all the latest horse racing odds.

We began with a mile rated race (1.56), in which Aidan O’Brien seemed to have full control of the race, with four of the seven runners coming from Ballydoyle. Shaftesbury Avenue was the 2/1 favourite, ridden by Ryan Moore, but the colt began to weaken and finished fourth. The Coolmore representatives finished no further forward than third, leaving the Colin Keane-ridden Bobby McGee to take the win for Noel Meade.

A mile handicap was next (2.26). Again, we had beaten favourites here; Far From Dandy and Red Charlie, both at 100/30. Far From Dandy was Stephen Thorne’s first string, but was eventually beaten by 10/1 stablemate Jagged Edge, ridden by three-pound claimer Jack Kearney to a near four-length victory.

Race three was a five-furlong contest for two-year-olds (2.56). Travelling English rider Hollie Doyle broke new ground here, winning at Naas for the first ever time aboard the Robson De Aguiar-trained Your Song, who jumped out of the stalls at 25/1. The daughter of Coulsty made all and fended off the challenging What A Girl Wants to win by a neck.

The fourth race was a fillies’ maiden (3.26). Henry De Bromhead and Monasterevin jockey Ronan Whelan had the first leg of their double here, as 50/1 outsider Totally Puzzled made all and was never caught, always doing enough to win by just a head to the runner-up, market leader Elmakaya. Mai Dahlia was third, followed in by Solana Beach.

The pair’s double was completed quickly, with the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes bringing in the second leg (3.56). Despite another set of long odds, 33/1 shot Wannabe Royal raced prominently and sustained herself to overtake Coolmore’s Expanded and win by a head for De Bromhead and Whelan. The favourite, Native Warrior, was well below form and always behind.

A Group Three fillies’ six-furlong sprint was next (4.26). Here, Coolmore’s Victorious was the hot market leader at 10/11, with 7/4 Velozee as the next closest rival in the betting. Under Ryan Moore, the daughter of Wootton Bassett raced prominently and fended off Controlla’s challenge in the final half furlong, therefore maintaining her unbeaten record in the dark blue.

In the penultimate race, the Group Three Lacken Stakes run over six furlongs (4.56), the Evens favourite also carried the dark blue Coolmore silks; Charles Darwin. The colt was terribly disappointing, though, finishing stone cold last having been eased down. Instead, the Donnacha O’Brien-trained Havana Anna was our game winner, despite stumbling when leaving the stalls. She now has a 10/1 chance in the Royal Ascot Commonwealth Cup, having shortened up from 25/1 since the weekend.

Last of all was a five-furlong Listed race (5.26). Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore consoled themselves from Charles Darwin’s defeat here as Mission Central justified favouritism to beat the useful Gazelle d’Or and Keke by a decisive length and a half. Having brought home the second leg of the trainer-jockey combination’s double, the No Nay Never gelding is targeted at the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Naas results - Sunday:

1.56 - Bobby McGee (3/1) 

2.26 - Jagged Edge (10/1) 

2.56 - Your Song (25/1) 

3.26 - Totally Puzzled (50/1) 

3.56 - Wannabe Royal (33/1) 

4.26 - Victorious (10/11F) 

4.56 - Havana Anna (9/4) 

5.26 - Mission Central (5/4F)