Elliott holds strong hand at Naas on Saturday

The National Hunt season continues in Ireland this weekend with a seven-race offering at Naas on Saturday, which included the Listed Open Hat Mares Chase.

Racing gets underway at Naas at 1.20pm with a rated hurdle contest for four-year-olds before the action comes to a close at 4.50pm as nine runners tackle the three-mile hunters chase.

Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview of the Naas card on Saturday courtesy of Betway, who offer the latest Cheltenham betting.

The opening contest on the Saturday card sees a field of seven head to post for the one mile and seven furlong rated hurdle (1.20). Trainer Gordon Elliott could get his afternoon off to a flier with Kurasso Blue in the opener, making his debut for the Cullentra yard having moved over from France after winning at Auteuil 147 days ago. Bacchanalian was pitched in at the deep end in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown last week and ran as well as expected, but could feature more prominently back in calmer waters here.

A two-mile and two furlong novice hurdle is up next on the Naas card at 1.55 and of the seven runners set to take it on, Coral River for trainer Tom Mullins looks the way to go, a winner of a maiden hurdle at Gowran just over a fortnight ago and is open to further progress here up in trip.

Lovely Hurling looked very useful for trainer Colm Murphy when landing a 12-runner contest at Wexford in May and shaped well over hurdles prior to that so should take some stopping in race three on the Naas card (2.30). Autoportrait is the second choice for trainer Mouse Morris, second of 11 in a Cork maiden when last seen and is down in trip here so could go well again.

Trainers Eddie and Patrick Harty hold a strong hand in the fourth race of the afternoon on Saturday (3.05) with Well Dressed, a career-best winner at Fairyhouse a fortnight ago and should be bang in there again despite having to overcome a massive 12lb hike in the handicap as a penalty for that win. Of her rivals, Fairyland Opera rates the chief threat at a good each-way price, sent handicapping after a good eighth at this course 34 days ago in a novice hurdle.

A Pro/Am Flat racer marks race five of the day (3.40) and this one can go the way of the very intriguing Eternal Echo for the Elliott team, though the trainer has the perhaps even more interesting Apple’s Jane running, the first filly of prolific Grade 1-winning Apple’s Jade so the betting market will prove very informative here.

Up next is the feature race of the day with the Listed Opera Hat Chase at 4.15 with a €15,000 first prize up for grabs. This one can go the way of reigning champion Allegorie De Vassy for the all-conquering Willie Mullins team, very much the one to beat off the back of a fine Grade 3 win at Fairyhouse when last seen and was barely challenged in the process.

Finally, the card comes to a close with the nine-runner hunters chase (4.50) held over the three-mile trip. Preference in the finale heads the way of Its On The Line for the Emmet Mullins team, a dual winner of the Champion Hunters Chase at Punchestown and is another reigning champion on this card, having won this last year.

Naas selections - Saturday 

1.20 - Kurasso Blue 

1.55 - Coral River 

2.30 - Lovely Hurling 

3.05 - Well Dressed 

3.40 - Apple’s Jane 

4.15 - Allegorie De Vassy 

4.50 - its On The Line