NICKNAME BIDS FOR FOUR IN A ROW AT NAAS With a number of leading Cheltenham hopefuls declared to run, Paddy Power Cheltenham Trial Day in Naas promises to be an outstanding day's racing. The feature race of the day, the paddypowerpoker.com Newlands Chase of ?60,000 has five entered. Nickname will be a hot favourite and may be given most to do by Tom Taaffe's Tumbling Dice. The remaining three are all mares and will keenly contest the final placing to gain the treasured black type for their pedigree. The Grade 2 Anglo Irish Bank Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase could turn out to be the most interesting race of the day with Patsy Hall receiving half a stone off Mister Top Notch and Schindlers Hunt, with the latter two returning from recent wins at Leopardstown. The Grade 2 paddypower.com Johnstown Novice Hurdle sees the clash a number of leading novices. Course and distance winner Kazal looks the one to beat but he has to give weight away to all his rivals. Noel Meade's decent pair Bridge Run and Offaly will have a five pound advantage, while John Murphy's Jack Absolute will be a useful nineteen pounds better off. The concluding paddypower.com bumper should also turn into an interesting contest. With the sponsors offering a Stg#28,000 bonus for the winner if it proves to be successful at Cheltenham in the Champion Bumper. The race has produced Cheltenham Bumper winners Pizarro and Hairy Molly in recent years. This year's entries include three previous winners including Mags Mullin's The Gallop Master, a winner at Limerick over Christmas. Western Kid from the Christy Roche stable could also be a notable entry, this Accordion gelding is having his first run for leading owner Sue Magnier. Racecourse Manager Tom Ryan said: 'We are delighted with the number of high class horses entered. The Novice Chase looks like the most interesting race of the day and with the weather for Sunday to be mostly sunny, we are expecting a large crowd. A lot of people seem to be combining the rugby on Saturday and racing in Naas on Sunday to make a memorable weekend's sporting action'. The going at Naas is currently soft, soft to heavy in places, extra fresh ground has been saved on both the chase and the hurdle track for Sunday.
