Naas Racecourse will come alive on Friday, January 9, as Ireland’s National Hunt season takes an important early-year stride with a competitive seven-race programme running from 12:45pm to 3:45pm. The meeting promises depth rather than volume, blending large-field handicaps, emerging novice talent, and a Grade 1 centrepiece that will set the tone for the weeks ahead.
The spotlight will fall firmly on Race 3 – Ballymore Novice Hurdle, a €100,000 Grade 1 contest that stands as both the feature race of the afternoon and the first top-level National Hunt event of the Irish calendar year. Run at 1:45pm over 2m4f, the race is restricted to 5yo+ novices and will see 10 runners tackle 11 hurdles in a contest that has become a proven launchpad for future stars.
With past winners such as Envoi Allen and Bob Olinger going on to Cheltenham Festival glory, the Ballymore Novice Hurdle will once again carry expectation, history, and early-season intrigue in equal measure.
Contenders: Saint Baco, Sortudo, Classical Creek, I’ll Sort That, Lord Rouge, Fruit De Mer, Switch From Diesel, Letos, Frankie John, Kovanis
The action will begin earlier with Race 1 – The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle at 12:45pm, a demanding opener over 2m for 4yo+ runners. With a notably large field of 25 horses negotiating nine hurdles, this €15,000 contest will test raw ability, temperament, and positioning from the outset, often revealing future handicappers and staying prospects.
At 1:15pm, attention will shift to Race 2 – Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, where 15 runners will line up over 2m2f200y. Open to 4yo+, the €13,500 handicap will reward tactical awareness and stamina, offering a sharp contrast between proven form and upwardly mobile types seeking to climb the ranks.
Following the Grade 1 feature, Naas will turn to speed and potential in Race 4 – Fifty Stars At Sunnyhill Stud (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race at 2:15pm. Restricted to 4yo runners, the €10,500 contest over 2m will feature nine participants, many of whom will be stepping onto the track with reputations built at home rather than on racecourse evidence.
Stamina will then take centre stage in Race 5 – EASYFIX Equine Novice Chase at 2:45pm, a selective field of six runners tackling 3m175y and 16 fences. Open to 5yo+, the €15,500 prize will reward sound jumping and endurance, often separating future staying chasers from those still learning the demands of fences.
The mares will have their moment at 3:15pm in Race 6 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase, where seven runners face 13 fences over 2m4f29y. With €15,500 on offer, this contest will play a key role in shaping the emerging mares’ chasing division.
The meeting will close at 3:45pm with Race 7 – Race And Stay Handicap Chase, a competitive finale over 2m featuring 11 runners and 10 fences. Carrying a purse of €16,500, the race will demand precision jumping and late-race composure as tired legs meet rising pressure.
From crowded maiden hurdles to elite Grade 1 ambition, Naas Racecards 9 January are set to deliver a race day rich in contrast, progression, and promise—an afternoon that will quietly but decisively shape the National Hunt narrative for the season ahead.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to RaceBuzz.