Naas, Monday 3 August 2026: Tips, Analysis and Best Bets

Naas, Monday 3 August 2026: Tips, Analysis and Best Bets

A seven-race card at Naas on good ground, headlined by the €110,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes. Three races stand out for punters looking for value, and the going suits horses who want to show their quality without getting bogged down. Let’s get into it.

2:17 — TRM Ironxcell For Energy Race (6f, Good, €10,800)

Six runners, tight enough market, and one horse sitting clear on the ratings. Likedbymike (11/10, Boyle Sports/Betfred) tops the figures on a mark of 95 and arrives in decent nick on a 12-day turnaround. She has placed in four of her last six starts, hit the frame two runs ago, and holds experience of both today’s trip and today’s ground. She hasn’t won recently, but in a six-runner affair where two rivals are returning from absences of over 85 and 350 days respectively, her fitness and consistency make her the logical choice.

Michael’s Well (5/1, Boyle Sports) is the main threat on form, with a win three starts back and a placed effort the start before that. The problem is 86 days off the track against a rival who has been running regularly. That layoff is a genuine risk at this level. Swerve him here.

Selection: Likedbymike, 11/10 (Boyle Sports/Betfred)

2:47 — Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap (6f, Good, €12,000, 11 runners)

Eleven runners, a proper handicap puzzle, and the market has compressed into a tight bunch at the head. The one who catches the eye is Spodo Komodo Each-Way (5/1, Boyle Sports/Betfred), trained by John James Feane, whose yard has gone 1/5 in the last 14 days but that one winner matters. Spodo Komodo finished second last time out, won three starts ago, and crucially has the trip and going experience in the bank. His rating of 78 is below the top two, but at 5/1 in a wide-open handicap, the each-way case is strong.

The market leader Amiata (10/3, Boyle Sports/Betfred) is hard to dismiss. Winner last time out, winner three starts back, trip suits, ground suits. The one legitimate concern is 61 days off the track. G M Lyons is sitting at just 2/17 at Naas in the last 14 days and Colin Keane’s course record (17% here) is solid without being spectacular. If you want to take the favourite, there’s a case, but the value angle sits with Spodo Komodo.

Smoke Them Out (9/1, Boyle Sports) is worth noting in the place markets. His form line of 160203 shows a horse who keeps showing up without quite winning, and a claiming jockey allowance helps the weight. At 9/1 and with the Betfred/LiveScore prices pushed to 10/1, there’s each-way appeal as a saver.

Selection: Spodo Komodo each-way, 5/1 (Boyle Sports/Betfred) — 3 places at 1/5 odds

4:47 — Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes (6f, Good, €110,000, 12 runners)

The feature race on the card and the most competitive on paper. Twelve two-year-olds, good ground, six furlongs, and a prize fund that will attract proper horses. This is where the angles matter.

Star Prospect Each-Way (13/2, Boyle Sports/Betfred/LiveScore Bet) is the standout selection. Trained by Joseph Patrick O’Brien, whose yard has fired at a 15/80 clip in the last 14 days, he tops the ratings in this field, brings placed form from two of his last four starts, and has the experience of both today’s trip and today’s going. The ten-day turnaround is sharp but he arrives fit and ready. Dylan Browne McMonagle in the saddle gives him every chance from stall 11.

Aidan O’Brien’s South Dakota (10/3 Boyle Sports/Betfred, best 3/1 LiveScore Bet) is the market leader and has consistent placed form. Three starts without a win is the caveat, and carrying 134lbs from stall nine adds to the task. The yard has gone 7/43 at this meeting recently, which is functional rather than exceptional. At 3/1, you’re not getting compensated for the risk.

Alpe d’Huez (16/1, Boyle Sports) is an each-way outsider worth a small mention. Win two starts back, second on the start before that, and Archie Watson’s operation knows how to place a horse. The 47-day break is the concern, but at 16/1 the place money is attractive in a 12-runner field.

Selection: Star Prospect each-way, 13/2 (Boyle Sports/Betfred) — 3 places at 1/5 odds

Today’s NAP

Likedbymike — TRM Ironxcell For Energy Race (2:17, Naas)
Odds: 11/10 — Boyle Sports (others: 11/10 Betfred, 11/10 LiveScore Bet)

The top-rated horse in a six-runner field, fit on a 12-day turnaround, with both trip and going experience already logged. Two rivals return from significant layoffs and another is rated last of six on the figures. Likedbymike has been placed consistently and the competition here is thinner than the price suggests. Not a big-priced NAP, but a confident one built on fitness and form superiority.