THE all-juvenile card at Naas Thursday last is not unique – there is another one at Leopardstown next month – but it is a curiosity, and meetings like this are good for time comparisons as it is like with like.

Salt Lake put up the standout overall time performance on the card to win the six-furlong maiden for colts and geldings, completing the course 0.62 seconds faster than Luca Brillante (carried 3lbs less) in the opener, itself a well-run contest.

This put further glow on the Monogram maiden form, and Salt Lake looks worth a go in pattern company, and probably at this trip rather than further as he looked sharp here.

The closing maiden for unraced horses over seven furlongs was more steadily run but there were some fast late sectionals from the winner Nouveau Grey who was much the quickest horse over the final three furlongs on the round course during the day.

He came from off the pace, something that is not easy on the round track at Naas, and even more so when the pace is slow, making a good move from two furlongs out and pulling clear.

He was doing unusual things here as he is not bred to be fast and nor does his trainer typically win with this type of horse, Ross O’Sulivan being 5/136 with juveniles in his career and 0/41 with debutants.

Decent prospect

O’Sullivan revealed the horse had an interesting backstory afterwards. He had been bought for the breeze-ups by Katie Walsh but hadn’t clocked well enough and they felt that he was too good to allow leave. It looks to have worked out for them now and he looks a decent prospect.

The form of these unraced maidens is hard to rate but the runner-up was strong in the market from a good yard while the fourth Soldat was an eye-catcher, the penny dropping late and almost as fast as the winner in the final furlong.

The mile nursery earlier on the card looked a strong race of its type. Run at a good gallop, the winner Cromane stayed on well from the suddenly in-from Joe Murphy yard and looks an improver over this sort of trip and further next year.

Hang in

There was promise from a few in behind too. Wecouldavehaditall was the one that made the strong pace and did well to hang in as long as he did to finish third, the winner and runner-up coming from the back half of the field, while the fourth Elyatta looked a non-stayer having moved well to press the lead a furlong from home only to fade up the hill.

Earlier on the card, Moon Sand shaped like one that could be making an impact in nurseries sooner rather than later.

He caught the eye when sixth in the Salt Lake race, slowly away but travelling nicely in rear and keeping on well late without getting knocked about, the drop to six furlongs looking against him as his previous runs were over further.

THE group races from ICF were covered here last week but there was plenty to note in the shoulder races too and one horse that could progress from handicaps to a higher level from the weekend is Rebel Wave.

She won the closing race on day one, impressing with the amount of ground she made up in the straight despite perhaps racing on the unfavoured part of the track.

Stepping up to a mile looks to have brought improvement and she should prove better than her revised mark of 88.

The Petingo Handicap was messy, the result influenced by a slow pace and an outside bias, with those down the inner getting little go at it.

The Reverend (fourth) was one that did well from what was a poor position and he was having his first run in 223 days too, while Truth Be Told (sixth) was another that looked like he had more to give.

Dominated

The Bold Lad was dominated by horses that were trained in Britain, went forward and had high draws, or some combination thereof, but the fifth home Thunderbear did not really qualify for any of those.

He was slowly away from the stalls and raced in rear, not using the favourable draw as he switched to the centre of the track, doing well to finish as close as he did.

Time of the year

A recent switcher to Stephen Thorne, this is his time of the year, and his mark has dropped to a dangerous level while he may also be better in smaller fields.

Further down the field, Dmaniac hinted he was back to form, meeting trouble when looking for a run, and he is another that does well around this time as the ground gets slower.

Star Of State was an easy winner of the big sales race but The Windhover in fourth showed up well on debut, repeatedly meeting trouble when looking for a run in the second half of the race, finishing strongly and shaping like he could have been second best on the day.

There was a strong pace in the closing Northfields Handicap, and Sky Captain struggled with it early, racing in last for much of the race.

He picked up well in the straight, passing plenty to finish sixth, and this should act as a good tune-up for staying races this autumn, most of his form over further and this his first run in 105 days.

IN a season where the Irish stakes race scene has had more big yard domination than ever before, Danny McLoughlin has fought the good fight for medium-sized yards with four wins at listed and group level, good for a tie of fifth in total wins in those races this turf season.

Aidan and Joseph O’Brien have 30 and 19 wins respectively, followed by Paddy Twomey on 10, with Donnacha O’Brien on five. McLaughlin is tied with Ger Lyons and Johnny Murtagh at the time of writing.

Syzygy was the fourth of those winners in the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies & Mares Stakes at Gowran on Saturday, her SP of 80/1 the biggest shock in such a race all year, though there seemed no fluke about it.

Rain in the run-up to the meeting left the ground on the slow side, while an overly strong pace set by the keen-going Faiyum suited the winner who showed a good attitude and plenty of stamina to hold on in a driving finish.

The runner-up Pollenca shaped well in defeat. Returning from a break, she did best of those that raced close to the pace while also getting caught in traffic down the inner early in the straight.

She had come up short in similar races earlier in the year, but those runs were on good ground, and she put up a career-best back on slower ground which seems to suit well.

Eye-catchers

Earlier on the card, the mile maiden won by Albany County produced a couple of eye-catchers outside the frame. Ted’s Turn had form that tied in with the winner and deserved to finish closer than fourth, getting a wide trip for much of the race before getting forced even wider early in the straight then picked up well when switched to the inner late.

The fifth Ashokdan Farewell did best of the newcomers despite looking in need of the experience. He was slow away and raced in rear but travelled well before making up good late ground.