Since winning the Lincoln on the first day of the season, Leitrim born Shane Kelly has consistently impressed as a jockey with a future and another valuable handicap looks set to come his way via Quinze in today's £30,000 Guinness Gold Cup.
Kelly currently leads the apprentice table with 28 winners this term, five clear of Eddie Ahern, and could hit the 30 mark this afternoon as Crosskeys Lass also appears to hold an excellent chance in the mile maiden.
Quinze however will be the centre of most punters' attention in the week's feature. This race, formerly known as the Carling Gold Cup, has been won by classy performers like Vintage Crop (1992) and Theatreworld (1997) in the past and off 7.12, with Kelly's claim thrown in, Quinze looks difficult to oppose.
Promising as a novice hurdler last Autumn, Quinze has blossomed in the last month, comfortably winning at Galway, Tramore and Roscommon. Kelly rode him to beat She's Our Mare at Roscommon last time and although saddled with a maximum 12lb penalty for today's race Quinze is still ahead of the handicapper.
Of the opposition, the Curragh winner Admiral Wings is an admirably consistent type while Celtic Lore represents Dermot Weld who has taken this post four times in the past. Space Trucker has won at Tramore and Fairyhouse but wouldn't like any rain and a value place alternative could be Pas Possible, third to Diligent Dodger over seven furlongs here on Monday.
Crosskeys Lass has some decent efforts in her five-race record so far, decent enough it seems to give her the winning of the maiden. She looks the best of those that have run and a bigger danger could be the newcomer Besherta who is by Common Grounds.
The £15,000 Nursery is an intriguing little contest but it could pay to side with the topweight Urban Ocean and his apprentice rider, Paul Scallen. It's unusual to see a son of an Arc winner, Urban Sea, running in a Nursery, especially since a half sister sold for over £1 million at Deauville over the weekend.
Aidan O'Brien won this with Risk Material last year however and Urban Ocean looks a type to improve significantly for his debut win at Naas. Athlumney Lady looks the danger.
A very interesting runner lurking at the bottom of the mile handicap is Golden Lights, a rare runner from the Weld yard that is rated as low as 30. Golden Lights raced for Weld last year, was then trained by Pat Lally and is now, significantly, back with Weld. On what he has done so far, Golden Lights deserves his rating, but this is a poor contest and there must be something there for Weld to persevere with him.
Jimmy Fortune delivered on Jamaican Flight as the entire overturned hotpot Grimshaw in the Phil Bull Trophy at Pontefract yesterday. Jamaican Flight appeared to face a tough task against the Henry Cecil-trained Grimshaw (1 to 5) but as Grimshaw tried to go clear coming into the straight Jamaican Flight was galvanised for a renewed effort by Fortune to score by three-parts of a length.
