Super weekend of Flat racing in store at Naas Racecourse

October 7, 2025 | Niamh Byrne

As the season enters the final few weeks, the curtain will come down on Flat racing at Naas Racecourse for 2025 this weekend with two cracking days of racing in store. 

The two-day meeting will see 15 races down for decision and over €500,000 in prize money on offer with the RFL Steels Stakes and the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery featuring on Saturday, while on Sunday the Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final and the Colm White Bookmakers Beggar’s End Handicap are the highlights. 

The Paddy Twomey-trained King Cuan will return to the scene of his most memorable triumph to date as the 2023 Irish EBF Auction Series Final winner this time tackles the RFL Steels Stakes. 

A model of consistency, the four-time winner has picked up prize money on each of his nine starts and is owned by the Red Lily Racing Syndicate, many of whom are local to Naas Racecourse. 

The second and third placed horses from last year’s renewal of the RFL Steels Stakes are back bidding to go slightly better on this occasion as Jack Davison’s Thunderbear and another local favourite Big Gossey for Charles O’Brien feature among the 16 entries. 

The €50,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery features a trio of course and distance winners with Aidan O’Brien’s First Approach included alongside the Michael O’Callaghan-trained duo of Fresh Fade and Luna Mia. 

Fresh Fade was a winner at Naas in August and has options this weekend as the son of Cotai Glory also features in Sunday’s Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final. 

Fresh from her Group 1 exploits in France last weekend, Jessica Harrington’s sole representative in Sunday’s feature is Pierre Grosse as the Kildare-based trainer looks to win the race for a third time in four years following Fiona MacCoul last year and Panic Alarm in 2022. 

Noel Meade won the 2021 renewal of the Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final with Lady Of Inishfree and Meade has an ideal candidate for this weekend in the form of Madbadanddangerous who opened his account at Naas last month. 

It could be a big afternoon for the eight-time champion jumps trainer as Meade has three of his string engaged in the Colm White Bookmaker Beggar’s End Handicap. Zoffman may join his Group 2 winning stable companion Layfayette and the Group 1 winner Helvic Dream in the competitive two-mile contest. 

Queenstown, who was third in Group 1 company last weekend in France, heads the weights in the €100,000 contest which also includes the John and Thomas Kiely-trained A Dream To Share. 

Joseph O’Brien has three acceptors in the Colm White Bookmaker Beggar’s End Handicap as Beset, Small Fry and last year’s winner Comfort Zone could all take aim for the Piltown-trainer who is seeking a third consecutive win in the race. 

The veteran Lord Erskine is another notable entry as he looks to run in Sunday’s showpiece race for a fourth time. The Harry Rogers-trained 12-year-old earned €50,000 at the end of last month when finishing second in the Lartigue Hurdle at the Listowel Harvest Festival before then finishing fourth in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh just a couple of days later. Lord Erskine first ran in the race as a four-year-old and missed out as a reserve in the 2022 running of the race before he finished ninth in 2023 and tenth in 2024. 

Harry Rogers said of his stable star: “He is headed for Sunday all going well. He came out of his last run well again, not a bother on him.

“Basically, he’s a hard enough horse to keep fit but he thrives on his work and for some reason, the last few years, he’s been more consistent than ever. He’s no problems, that’s the thing with him.

“He’s even running very well now when he doesn’t get his ground. It’s amazing.

“He’s never had any luck in the race so hopefully he gets it Sunday and we could be there.”

Racegoers can avail of an early bird offer ahead of racing this weekend with a €5 saving on tickets booked in advance online at naasracecourse.com