Expression aimed at Naas Grade 1

The unbeaten Free Expression will bypass the busy Christmas period and will instead be aimed at the inaugural running of the €80,000 Grade 1 Lawlors Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas on Sunday January 4th 2015.

Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old has won on each of his four starts to date and was highly impressive when successful in a Grade 2 at Navan in November.

Elliott said, “We will train him like a good horse and he has done everything that we have asked of him. He was very good when he won the last day and he has been in good shape since.

“The plan is that he’ll go for the Grade 1 Lawlors Hotel Novice Hurdle. He won his maiden hurdle over two miles at Naas and he appreciated the step up in trip when he when he won at Navan, so two and a half miles will be fine for him. I can see him getting a bit further in time.

“It will be a good race and Naas will tell us a lot more about our horse. He is in good nick and he is a big chaser down the road. Whatever he does over hurdles will be a bonus, but I’d like to think that he could be a horse for one of the good staying novice hurdles in the spring.”

Willie Mullins has entered 13 horses for race including Nichols Canyon, winner of the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Others include recent Cork Grade 3 winner, Black Hercules, Douvan who impressed on his Irish debut at Gowran Park and Shaneshill, a top bumper performer of last season and so promising on his first run over hurdles at Fairyhouse.

Noel Meade has made four entries for the race and at this stage, the improving Couleur France could be best of his quartet.

The locally-trained On Impulse was a good winner at Punchestown recently and could be an interesting runner for Ted Walsh while other notable entries include Sandra Hughes’ All Hell Let Loose and the Tom Mullins-trained Princely Conn.

The race has also attracted an entry from leading English trainer Nicky Henderson who has put Vyta Du Roc in the race. The five-year-old is unbeaten in four starts and was the winner of the Grade 2 Neptune Investment Management Novices´ Hurdle at Sandown last time out.

Francine O’ Hagan, Sales & Marketing Executive, Lawlor's Hotel, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring Naas Racecourse’s first Grade 1 race. Lawlor's Hotel has a longstanding connection to Naas; Mrs Brigid Lawlor bred the great Mill House, who celebrated his first victory at Naas in the Osberstown Hurdle in 1961.

"This is also an exciting year for Lawlor's as we make further improvements to the hotel with the opening of 18 additional rooms in the New Year and more plans in the pipeline. It seemed a natural fit for us and we look forward to continuing our association with this race for many years.”

Tom Ryan, Manager, Naas Racecourse commented: “The realisation of a Grade 1 race for Naas has been a long-standing goal here for many years. We pride ourselves on providing a high-quality venue for young horses to prepare for festival meetings.

"Graduates from this race have consistently tasted success at all the major festivals and to see it achieve Grade 1 status is a big boost to our National Hunt programme. We are delighted to have local sponsors Lawlor's Hotel on board, with their history they are the ideal sponsors of such a prestigious race.”