Saratoga
Noted before after he finished third in a maiden hurdle at Naas last month, Saratoga is worthy of note again after his run in the rated juveniles' hurdle back at Naas on Sunday. He travelled well through his race for Mark Walsh, his jumping was good, and he moved up on the far side to challenge Highland Crystal on the run to the final flight. He stayed on the far side, and looked like he was getting on top but, in the end, Highland Crystal stayed on strongly on the near side. Saratoga went down by just a half a length to a talented and progressive and probably under-rated filly, albeit getting 7lb from her, with the pair of them clear.
This was another step forward by Padraig Roche's horse. A seriously well-bred horse, a half-brother to the Irish Derby and St Leger winner Capri, he won over a mile and six furlongs on the flat at Killarney during the summer, which propelled him to a flat mark of 93. This was just his third run over hurdles, in a race that is a remarkably strong pointer to the Fred Winter Hurdle at Cheltenham. In 2019, Band Of Outlaws won this race and followed up in the Fred Winter Hurdle. In 2020, similarly, Aramax completed the double, while in 2022, Brazil repeated the feat. In 2023, Jazzy Matty and Byker finished fourth and third respectively in the Naas race, and they finished first and second in the Fred Winter Hurdle.
It would be surprising if the Fred Winter Hurdle had not been on Saratoga's radar for a while. Padraig Roche also has previous in the Fred Winter Hurdle, he won the 2022 renewal with the aforementioned Brazil, a half-brother to Saratoga, who is, like Saratoga, owned by JP McManus, who has won the race three times in the last six years.
Naas, 7th February 2026
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