Troubadour timely boost for O´Brien

Naas report: The high-class juvenile Troubadour kicked off his three-year-old campaign with an easy success at Naas last night which Aidan O´Brien hopes might help kick start the second half of his season.

Troubadour easily beat two rivals at odds of 1 to 3 and might be upped in class for his next start in York´s Group One Juddmonte International.

'He´s in that race and the Sussex Stakes next week. He´s a possible for Goodwood but maybe York is more likely,' said O´Brien who reflected on a frustrating season with his season of Ballydoyle blue-bloods.

'We just haven´t been able to get a clear run with any of them,' he said. 'There´s been no rhythm with all the little problems and the spring was a disaster. This fellow is starting back but the likes of Magritte and Wolfe Tone, I don´t know if they will run again this year. But there´s still a bit of the year to go so things might change.'

O´Brien also reported a 'wait and see' attitude is in operation with One Cool Cat who has disappointed this season.

The Athboy, Co Meath-based trainer Jane Thomas saddled her first winner when the 25 to 1 outsider Streets Of Steel beat the favourite Almier in the handicap hurdle. The winning jockey Denis O´Regan faces a schooling session this morning with the winner´s stable companion Sum Leader who is on course to run in Wednesday´s Galway Plate.

'We have 15 horses in, mostly our own, and Jane has had the licence for about six months,' said the trainer´s partner, John Smyth. 'The horses had the virus about three months ago but they seem to be coming out of it.'

Sit And Settle made a quick reappearance in the apprentice handicap after being narrowly beaten at Ballinrobe on Monday evening and she made it count with a half-length defeat of Set Barabbas Free who made up quite a lot of ground in the closing stages.

A number of horses were withdrawn on the night due to the firm ground conditions but Sit And Settle´s trainer Declan Gillespie said: 'She is adaptable enough on that ground and she was due one after the last night.'

Dermot Weld is in the US supervising Simple Exchange´s tilt at Saturday night´s American Derby but he kept the home team ticking over with Descriptive who was half a length too good for the fast finishing Camouflage in the juvenile race.