Preview of today's action at Naas Racecourse

Naas Racecourse: preview and tips for Monday’s seven-race Flat card The Flat season continues at great pace at Naas on Monday as the Kildare track hosts a seven-race card.

Racing gets underway at 2.20 with a five furlong contest for three-year-old’s and upwards before the meeting comes to a close three hours later at 5.20 with a 50-80 rated handicap over the one mile and two furlong trip.

Read below to discover the latest tips for Naas’s card on Monday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest horse racing odds throughout the season.

There is no such thing as a foregone conclusion in racing but the opener at Naas (2.20) is pretty much that with the Paddy Twomey-trained Firebird likely to go off a heavy odds-on favourite having bolted up in a Cork maiden last time out for his new stable after a second at Ayr for former trainer Rebecca Menzies and should have way too much class for the four other runners in the first.

Race two on the card (2.50) sees eight runners head to the stalls for the five furlong handicap for three-year-old’s and upwards, with preference here heading to the unexposed Moltophino, who has had near misses over course and distance and at Gowran Park on his last two starts. Of his rivals, Never Shout Never can go well having finished third at this track on his previous run which was a strong result in a field of 19.

A large field of 15 will take on race three on the Naas card (3.20) and is another contest over the short five furlongs. Eriskay for trainer Dermot Weld arrives here on a losing run but having tumbled down the weights and off the back of a third at Gowran Park, is weighted to be well amongst it here. Step Back In Time rates the chief threat after a creditable six of 15 in a Navan handicap on his last spin.

Another Weld runner in Zaragoza rates a big player in the midway point of the card for race four (3.50) over seven furlongs having got off the mark at the trainer’s home Curragh track and despite a 7lb hike in the weights here, that doesn’t look to be too much a concern considering his last win. Nika Pika heads the danger list off a good Ballinrobe third last time out.

Trainer Joseph O’Brien sends a very interesting newcomer in Kelbelle to Naas for race five on the card (4.20), purchased for €100,000 as a yearling and is a half-sister to three winners over this trip so there is plenty to like on paper. Eternal Reign can push her close of those runners with racecourse experience, second of 13 in a Gowran contest when last seen nine days ago.

The penultimate race on Monday’s card is an auction race for the two-year-old’s over the five furlong sprint distance (4.50) and a whopping field of 26 are set to take it on. The powerhouse Aidan O’Brien yard sent Heaven’s Gate to Naas, who sets the standard here with a third in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at newmarket last time out and a winner of a Curragh maiden back on May 26. Pick of the rest could well be Li Ban, a winner at Thirsk last time around.

Finally, the card comes to a close with the 50-80 rated handicap over one mile and two furlongs (5.20) to bring the curtain down on the meeting, with preference in the finale heading to Ger Lyons’ filly Blue Soul, who is bang in-form having won at Tipperary in July and then followed up with a fourth of eight at Navan 23 days ago, only losing out late on.

Naas selections - Monday 

2.20 - Firebird 

2.50 - Moltophino 

3.20 - Eriskay 

3.50 - Zaragoza 

4.20 - Kellebelle 

4.50 - Heaven’s Gate 

5.20 - Blue Soul