It’s ‘take two’ at Naas this afternoon as the Grade One lost to fog on Sunday takes centre-stage on a rescheduled seven-race card on Friday.
There is only one change to the field for the Lawlors Of Naas Novice Hurdle, with Mystical Power not in the line-up this time.
Willie Mullins still has four of the seven runners but his big rival Gordon Elliott is fancied to come out on top in the €100,000 event.
Firefox is very well regarded in Cullentra and was impressive when taking his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse last month.
He beat the well-touted Mullins horse Ballyburn in good style then, quickening away before the last for a stylish win.
The runner-up has gone on to score in facile fashion at Leopardstown over Christmas, looking a top-class prospect himself.
Firefox started off over hurdles with an eyecatching run to finish fourth over this two-and-a-half-mile trip at Navan in November 2022.
He switched to bumpers after that, winning three times, including a defeat of one of today’s main rivals, Ile Atlantique.
It’s a fascinating rematch and will be a real test of how much both have improved since.
Ile Atlantique travelled like the winner early in the straight when the pair met at Fairyhouse last April but was worn down by Firefox in the closing stages.
Mullins’ charge had done the same thing when pipped close home by Stellar Story on his previous start and it remains to be seen what the strong traveller will find again when under pressure.
Ile Atlantique was a facile winner on his hurdling debut at Gowran in November and is also a very exciting prospect. This will be a much tougher test though.
Earlier on the card, another well regarded Mullins horse, Mister Policeman, bids to take a step up the ladder in the two-mile novice chase.
The Triple Threat gelding wasn’t overly impressive on his chase debut at Fairyhouse but there looks scope for plenty of improvement.
He got under the second last then and had to work to peg back stablemate Feu Du Bresil. To be fair he did show gears to pick up that rival from the back of the last.
This looks like a nice stepping stone and with natural progression he should prove hard to beat.
Mullins can bag a few winners on the card and Tullyhill should be able to justify a short price this time in the two-mile maiden hurdle.
He was beaten at odds of 1/8 in Punchestown when weakening tamely before the last to finish a distant second to Shannon Royale.
The Martaline gelding, second in the Grade One bumper at Punchestown last season, will be expected to leave that run behind.
SELECTIONS
12.42 Mister Policeman
1.12 Snake Oil (Dbl)
1.42 Firefox (Nap)
2.12 Tullyhill
2.42 Christiano Marealdo
3.12 American Money
3.47 Shuttle Diplomacy
