By Tom Frary
In this weirdest of times, the European turf flat season re-emerges in cautious defiance to the world's rampaging virus with the Kildare circuit of Naas the centre of all focus. As usual, the Irish season kicks off with a card featuring the G3 Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express S. for fillies and mares which might just be the only G1 1000 Guineas trial to be run for some time if the country follows the lead of some others and commits to lockdown. For now, we can enjoy the early pointers to the mile Classics which could yet be a way off and look to the 3-year-old debuts of the pair of Susan Magnier colourbearers Even So (Ire) (Camelot (GB) and Blissful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The latter, who was successful in the Listed Ingabelle S. over seven furlongs on Leopardstown's Irish Champions Day card before finishing sixth in the G2 Rockfel S. in September, hails from Ballydoyle while Even So is a Ger Lyons trainee owned in partnership by Magnier and Mrs Paul Shanahan. Third to Blissful on debut at Tipperary in August, the relative of Dr Devious (Ire) went on to record an impressive success under positive tactics in a Gowran Park maiden over this trip the following month.
The 3-year-olds get over a stone in weight from their elders, including His Highness The Aga Khan's Hamariyna (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}), who has been off since June and who is forced to carry a three-pound penalty as a result of her success in the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown last May. Also making up for lost time is Godolphin's Cerro Bayo (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), the Jim Bolger-trained half-sister to Khawlah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) from the family of Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) whose only start saw her garner a Roscommon maiden in August.
Elsewhere on the card, there is an early meeting of two of last year's TDN Rising Stars in Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Brogue (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the 10-furlong Listed Devoy S. The former, who is also penalised three pounds for his G3 Chester Vase success, is reappearing after finishing fourth in the G1 St Leger at Doncaster. Khalid Abdullah's Brogue was denied the chance to build on the promise of his debut defeat of the smart subsequent listed scorer Up Helly Aa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a Cork maiden over this trip in May, but Dermot Weld is renowned for his patience with such types and he has abundant time to fulfil his potential.
Starting the fixture is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for juveniles over five furlongs and Aidan O'Brien saddles the $650,000 Keeneland September graduate Lippizaner (Uncle Mo) in a race which features representatives of the trio of first-season sires Buratino (Ire), Prince of Lir (Ire) and Markaz (Ire) in The Blue Panther (Ire), Boasting (Ire) and Marketta (Ire) respectively. Ballydoyle also supplies an intriguing type in the following Naas Nursery of Champions Maiden over six furlongs in Knight of Malta (War Front), a son of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while Hong Kong (American Pharoah), a half-brother to Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), is the yard's standard bearer in the seven-furlong Naas Racecourse Business Club Madrid H. won in 2016 by Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
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