Saint Baco headlines 13 entries in Naas’ rescheduled Ballymore Novice Hurdle

Saint Baco headlines 13 entries in the rescheduled Ballymore Novice Hurdle at Naas on Friday.

The first Grade 1 of the calendar year was due to take place last Sunday but unsuitable track conditions following a cold snap saw the card postponed to January 9.

Nine were initially declared from 29 entries but the race was opened again on Monday which revealed a slightly different line-up of possible contenders.

Frankie John and Heads Up enter Ballymore Novice Hurdle equation

Stepping into the fold is Denis Hogan’s FRANKIE JOHN, not too far removed from a gutsy maiden hurdle victory over former Champion Bumper third Jalon d’Oudairies at Leopardstown on December 29.

The form of his runner-up finish to Doctor Steinberg at Galway in October is working out nicely with the winner later landing Grade 2 honours at Navan last month and emerging as a key player in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle picture.

If Frankie John is turned out again at Naas it’ll only be 11 days from his Leopardstown success.

Also added was John McConnell’s HEADS UP, runner-up in the Champion Bumper last season. He’s been on a break since his second to Turners Novices’ Hurdle favourite No Drama This End at Cheltenham in November.

His Listowel maiden hurdle win has proved rock solid with Eric McNamara’s L’Evangeliste giving a good account of himself since as well as Tony Martin’s Chichester Park.

Mullins duo and Classical Creek to form bulk of market

Heads Up’s bumper form from a Listed race at Navan in December 2024 puts him right on par with Gordon Elliott’s CLASSICAL CREEK, one of the market leaders for this race and the choice of stable jockey Jack Kennedy.

Classical Creek was an easy winner of a maiden hurdle at Navan in November and the step up to top-level company looks within his reach.

At the top of the betting will surely be Willie Mullins’ SAINT BACO – a big contender in the ante-post markets for the Supreme and Turners Novices’ Hurdles at Cheltenham.

The French recruit won on his first start for Mullins at Navan, comfortably brushing aside Elliott’s Lazare de Star who franked the form with a cosy win over Christmas.

His effort can be marked up significantly looking at how many Closutton representatives have needed their first runs, not to mention he was very weak in the market before the off that day.

Paul Townend opted to ride Saint Baco over SORTUDO, the promising six-year-old who beat Jalon d’Oudairies at Cork on hurdling debut.

Many were expecting Sortudo to be the first string here with Saint Baco heading elsewhere, perhaps the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle but Mullins is a hard man to figure out.

Nevertheless Sortudo won’t be a pushover and he should thrive with the step up in trip, touted by a few as one to keep on side for the Albert Bartlett.

His bumper form is decent, seventh in the Champion Bumper and second in a Grade 2 contest at the Dublin Racing Festival.

WATCH: Saint Baco wins on stable debut

📈 LAZARE DE STAR bolting up at Leopardstown significantly enhanced the claims of SAINT BACO who kicked the former out the way at Navan previously.

He’s entered in the 2m4 G1 Novice Hurdle at Naas on the 4th and is a current 14/1 shot for the Supreme & 20/1 for the Turners. https://t.co/XOQorP736d pic.twitter.com/bbA1pbsk3L

— Fitzwilliam Sports (@Fitzwilliam__) December 30, 2025

I’ll Sort That and Fruit De Mer still in contention

Declan Queally’s I’LL SORT THAT took Grade 3 honours at the Navan Racing Festival but looking at form on the level, 12 lengths adrift Sortudo at Fairyhouse in April, he’s got some catching up to do.

Henry de Bromhead’s FRUIT DE MER will need to improve massively from his Naas win in November to feature, a race that hasn’t worked out brilliantly.

LORD ROUGE was another previously declared from the Elliott yard, a very likeable winner on stable debut at Cork but Dani Donadoni didn’t do much for the form at Leopardstown – over 16 lengths behind Frankie John.

KAZANSKY is an unlikely runner alongside ROAD EXILE. Tony Mullins’ LETOS should line-up and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares with the step up in grade, last seen in Ireland winning a valuable handicap hurdle at Naas.

KOVANIS will probably play a supporting role at best and it’s hard to see SWITCH FROM DIESEL getting involved looking at her two hurdles runs so far.

Ballymore Novice Hurdle entries

• Classical Creek (Gordon Elliott)
• Frankie John (Denis Hogan)
• Fruit De Mer (Henry de Bromhead)
• Heads Up (John McConnell)
• I’ll Sort That (Declan Queally)
• Kazansky (Gordon Elliott)
• Kovanis (Gordon Elliott)
• Letos (Tony Mullins)
• Lord Rouge (Gordon Elliott)
• Road Exile (Gordon Elliott)
• Saint Baco (Willie Mullins)
• Sortudo (Willie Mullins)
• Switch From Diesel (Ross O’Sullivan)