Sacred Bridge out to repel raiders in €300,000 Naas feature

Sacred Bridge puts her unbeaten record on the line in the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas.

An impressive winner on her racecourse debut at the County Kildare circuit in June, the Ger Lyons-trained filly successfully stepped up to Listed class on her second start at Tipperary.

A tilt at Group-race company beckons soon, but Lyons could not resist the opportunity to have a shot at Monday’s huge prize.

He said: “She’s in good form. It would be a nice next step for her, and then we can go back to the Stakes races.

“The prize-money is so good it makes sense to go this route first.”

Archie Watson’s Dusky Prince is one of five British challengers in a 24-strong field.

Since winning on his Brighton introduction, the Prince Of Lir colt has failed to land a telling blow in either the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom or the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot.

“Dusky Prince is a very solid colt,” said Watson.

“He won nicely at Brighton on his debut, and things just didn’t go his way since. He missed the break in the Woodcote, and it was horrible ground that day, and then things just happened too quick for him at Royal Ascot back over five furlongs in the Windsor Castle.

“The step back up in trip on Monday will be a help, and this was a race we were keen to support – and with Dusky Prince being by Prince Of Lir and the bonus for a winner by Prince Of Lir, it was certainly worth having a crack at.”

Dusky Prince is joined on the trip across by the Irish Sea by the Richard Hannon-trained Bosh, who is on a hat-trick following wins at York and Newbury.

Kevin Ryan saddles both Aleezdancer and Smullen, while Tom Dascombe has declared Ever Given – who was an impressive winner of a nursery at Goodwood on Friday.

Jessica Harrington is looking forward to running Albion Square, Bellabel and Tut Tut.

She said: “Albion Square was an impressive winner of his maiden at Navan and has run in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group Two Railway Stakes since, so this is a good opportunity. He’s got all the experience, so I hope he will run a big race.

“Tut Tut’s form has worked out very well. The only little concern might be the ground for her, because it was soft when she was second in Fairyhouse, but she is in good order.

“You can discard Bellabel’s last run. She ran well below par that day, but if she can reproduce her first run I would hope she could run into a place and pick up a bit of prize money.”