Tony Keenan best bets for today jumps meeting at Naas

Tony Keenan looks ahead to the meeting at Naas this afternoon and he’s got a recommended bet in the Listed handicap hurdle.

It will be another week or two before the better Willie Mullins novices are out, but soft ground has seen some of his better older horses return with Spindleberry and Il Etait Temps winning at Clonmel on Thursday, and a couple more are running in the Barberstown Castle Chase (3:02) today.

Champ Kiely showed extreme versatility last season, winning Graded races over two miles on slow ground and over three miles on decent ground though the suspicion is that longer trips suit him better.

Ile Atlantique, on the other hand, never looked better than when winning over course and distance in January and seems to be one to catch fresh; he has never really delivered on the promise he has shown early in his in various campaigns but that isn’t an issue today.

Of the others, Inthepocket comes from a yard in excellent form but has been hard to train. He was well behind Ile Atlantique in that January race while the form of his initial chase runs with Facile Vega and Farren Glory is not as good as it looked at the time.

The highest rated chaser on the card doesn’t run in the Graded chase but rather the SIS Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at 2:27. Spillane’s Tower has a mark of 163 over fences and having thrived on racing as a novice chaser, only made it to the track three times in his second season, unsuitable ground often the reason.

He is very well-in relative to this chase form but may need this en route to bigger targets, the Betfair Chase having been mentioned. Backtonormal has a similar profile, albeit not that his chase mark is nothing like as high, but he suffered a setback towards that ruled him out of the most recent spring festivals and his yard is going through a rare quiet spell.

SOMMESKY makes some appeal with the slow ground a plus to his chances. He won well on bumper debut before catching the eye on his first start over hurdles at Fairyhouse, shaping as if a stiffer test than two miles on yielding ground would suit.

He stepped up to two-and-a-half miles on slow ground at Limerick at Christmas, to date the only time he has gotten those conditions, and won easily, beating a horse that has won three times since and is now rated 137.

Sommesky himself is off 125 here and ran in a couple of unsuitable races afterwards, initially over a trip too far at the DRF and then finding two miles too sharp in a Grade 3 here when Gaucher went a strong pace early which he couldn’t cope with.

Furthermore, both those runs came when his yard was out of form, but the opposite is the case now; since the start of October and not including yesterday, Henry De Bromhead is 24 winners from 73 runners with his jumpers.

This trip and ground look his ideal conditions, and he can go well if ready.

Other than that, the JP McManus horses could play a big part in the card. The Wallpark starts out over fences though the two miles of the Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Beginners Chase at 3:37 is likely to be on the sharp side, while there are plenty of other interesting types in the same colours in that race.

Crecora Hills looks to hold strong claims in the opening Mongey Communications Novice Handicap Chase at 12:20, her previous win coming under similar conditions over hurdles. She caught the eye over an insufficient trip when last seen at Clonmel and her trainer is in a rare fit of early winter form.

The maiden hurdles on the card should prove interesting to review, and Between Friends is one with potential in the Cavan Developments Home Builders Supporting St Marys GAA Maiden Hurdle at 12:50, for all that he may not show it on his first start back.

Published at 0912 GMT on 09/11/25

Tony Keenan best bets for today jumps meeting at Naas

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