A TOTAL of 35 entries have stood their ground for the €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas Racecourse on Monday, with six British-trained entries among the acceptors.

This will be the sixth renewal of the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes and this year’s renewal could feature a strong contingent from across the Irish Sea with the race previously going for export when the Hugo Palmer-trained Golden Trick won two years ago.

The richest race of the year at Naas Racecourse has a winner’s prize of €110,000 with total prize money down to 10th place and one leading contender opted to skip Glorious Goodwood this week to favour a trip to Naas on Monday. The Oliver Cole-trained Jel Pepper was third in Group 2 company last time when running in the Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes, having made a winning debut at Goodwood previously and connections are excited about the prospect of tackling Monday’s feature contest.

“Jel Pepper is a good horse who ran very well in the July Stakes and we have missed Goodwood with him to go to Naas,” Oliver Cole said.

“It is great prize money and I believe the ground will be on the easy side of good which will play to his strengths as he likes a bit of a cut in the ground.”

Trainer Kevin Ryan went down by just half a length to the first British-trained winner of the race when Golden Trick beat Jungle Mate in 2023 but Ryan is set to return this Monday as he has left in recent Hamilton winner There’s A Chance and the Beverley scorer Tropical Dreamer.

George Scott is a trainer who makes no secret of targeting big prizes overseas and two-time winner Front Line Fury will represent the Newmarket conditioner whose only previous Irish runner was a winner at Killarney last season.

The recent Group 2 winner Green Sense would appear to spearhead the potential nine-strong challenge for trainer Joseph O’Brien.

Previously second in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Blackbeard Stakes at Naas, Green Sense is one of a number notable entries for the Piltown-based trainer in Monday’s feature, which he won with Voce Del Palio in 2022. O’Brien has also left in Fairyhouse winner Green Soul and Down Royal winner Summer Is Tomorrow.

Aidan O’Brien won the race last year with Heavens Gate and the first ever running in 2020 with Chief Little Hawk and will rely solely on Precise this time around, while Ger Lyons, who saddled Sacred Bridge to win the second edition of the race in 2021, will bid to win it for a second time with one of his four entries who are headed by course and distance winner By The Lake and the Juddmonte-owned newcomer Prevalence.

Gavin Cromwell had to settle for the runner-up spot last year with the experienced Fiery Lucy but the dual-purpose trainer may roll the dice on Monday for the lion’s share of €200,000 with the unraced Wicklow Gap.

Cross-channel support

Joe Foley, owner of Ballyhane Stud and Irish EBF chairman, said: “We are grateful the race continues to be supported by owners and trainers from both sides of the Irish Sea, with six UK horses still standing from a total of 35 entries. This shows how a valuable race like the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes is a centrepiece for connections of two year olds to target each year.”

Previous editions of the race were worth €300,000. A spokesperson for the sponsors said: “It was originally meant to be a €200,000 race but the entries were so strong in the first couple of years that we increased it to €300,000 and even ran a consolation race. The entries remain strong by comparison with other early-closing races but the overall number has declined and it was felt that going back to €200,000 was the right move.”