Naas Directors Plate Novice Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 15:45 | Winning time: 5m 33.1s

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Selected odds by:

Ball D'Arc²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: B J Cooper| T: G Elliott| OR: 144

2/1

Winner of his last two outings over fences including when left clear three from home by the departure of an odds-on favourite in a 2m1f Grade 3 contest last time out. Going the right way over fences and every chance of going in again here.

Form: 311123

Alamein^p,t¹⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: M A Enright| T: M F Morris

13/2

Rated 126 at his best over hurdles and made a winning chase debut when accounting for eight rivals at Fairyhouse last month. Steps up in class here but likely to run well once more for a yard with a 43% strike rate recently (3/7).

Form: 41-U371

Gangster^p1⁴⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: D J Mullins| T: H De Bromhead| OR: 147

2/1

Winner at this level over hurdles as a novice last year but failed to score in three outings over fences for new yard this season. Finished third to Yorkhill in a Grade 3 contest over 2m3f in January and wears cheekpieces for the first time here.

Form: 117P-52

Prince Of Scars⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Jack Kennedy| T: G Elliott| OR: 140

9/4

Finished runner-up here on chasing debut in November and was a Grade 1 winning hurdler in his youth but disappointed in valuable races recently having been pulled up in the Thyestes when last seen in action in January and well beaten in a Grade 1 contest prior to that.

Form: 81113-2

Non-Runners

Oscar Knight⁷⁵

Weight: 11-2| Age: 8

T: T Mullins J: M P Walsh

Forecasts

Ball D'Arc (2/1), Gangster (2/1), Prince Of Scars (9/4), Alamein (13/2), Oscar Knight (8/1)

Gigginstown House Stud field four of the five runners here as they bid for their fourth win in this contest in the last five years. Preference here is for the classy hurdler PRINCE OF SCARS who has been highly tried of late tackling experienced handicappers last time out and a Grade 1 contest the time before. The selection was successful at the highest level over hurdles and can get the better of Oscar Knight and Ball D'Arc who finished in the first two placings in a handicap event over this trip at Navan in December.