NAAS Racecourse stages the €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes on Monday, a public holiday.

A total of 17 two-year-olds, representing 15 different owners, have stood their ground for what will be the seventh renewal of one of Ireland’s most valuable juvenile races.

Run over a trip just short of six furlongs, the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes is restricted to horses who are EBF-eligible and whose sire established one or more yearling sales in the relevant year with a median price of not more than €75,000.

Sun Goddess heads the Aidan O’Brien team and this promising filly, bred locally by Owenstown Bloodstock, boasts some high-class form, including when landing the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh in June. Before that success, she was just touched off at Royal Ascot and, on Monday, she may have to take on a Royal Ascot winner in the shape of King Of Cloughan, who landed the Windsor Castle Stakes for the red-hot team of Joseph O’Brien. Last year’s winning trainer, Ger Lyons, has a duo to choose from with Livenka looking the pick at this stage on the back of a smart maiden win at Fairyhouse.

The Middleham Park Racing syndicate has two contenders, in the shape of Hugo Palmer’s Weekend Roar and Archie Watson’s Alpe d’Huez. Weekend Roar comes here on the back of a smart novice success at Newmarket, and his trainer landed this valuable contest in 2023.

Alpe d’Huez bids to bounce back from a below-par effort at Royal Ascot last time out, but had looked a promising sort in two previous outings.

Tom Palin of Middleham Park Racing said: “It looks a hot contest, but we’re happy to take our chances with two promising two-year-olds. Weekend Roar’s form at Newmarket looks good, and Hugo Palmer has won the Ballyhane before. If Alpe d’Huez reproduces his Epsom form, he’d have a chance too, and I know that Archie is very keen to win the race.”

Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud and Irish EBF chairman, added: “Prize money has always been centre stage with this race, and we are proud to have reached a significant milestone with over €2 million in prize money distributed to connections since 2020.

“The quality of entries for this year’s race once again highlights just how established this race has become in the racing programme and how connections continue to target the race, both domestically and from the UK. Naas always puts on a fantastic show.”

Racegoers on Monday can enter their names in the Rugby Sweepstakes. Each runner in the big race will be allocated to a racegoer whose names will be drawn at random.

The holder of the winning sweepstake ticket will receive two tickets to the Ireland versus South Africa rugby international at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, November 21st, together with an overnight stay in Dublin.

Other attractions planned for Monday include the Treo Eile ‘Meet the Racehorse’ Experience, face painting and racehorse simulator. Early bird admission tickets and barbecue packages are available online until Sunday.

Web: naasracecourse.com