RACING Today's Beginners Chase may be one of the lesser races on the Naas card in terms of prize money but the chasing debuts of both Like-A-Butterfly and Newmill means there is a lot more than just monetary value at stake.
Newmill's form over hurdles last season made him one of the top novices in the country but his trainer Tom O'Leary elected to skip Cheltenham and give his stable star more time to mature.
The six-year-old is already a 14 to 1 shot for a festival pay-off in the Arkle without having jumped a fence in anger but the reports of his schooling prowess are encouraging. The concern, however, is O'Leary's report of coughing in the yard. Newmill is clearly giving the right signs but it's a worry the Clonakilty team could do without.
Like-A-Butterfly may seem an unlikely convert to chasing given she will turn 11 on January 1st. But that is to ignore a record that exudes quality. A total of 12 career starts has resulted in just three defeats with the victories including a Supreme Novices Hurdle and an epic AIG defeat of Limestone Lad. Significantly it is also less than four years since that career began.
It's almost 600 days since Like-A-Butterfly last ran but a tendon injury never interfered with the plan to eventually start her over fences. Extensive schooling at Enda Bolger's stable has gone well and Christy Roche reports he has done plenty of work with the mare without putting the gun to her head.
It's tough on Aye Aye Popeye that he comes up against two such quality animals but it looks between Like-A-Butterfly and Newmill and there are encouraging vibes that the mare is set to make a dramatic comeback.
The 35,000 Woodlands Park Square Chase is the most valuable race on the card where Central House again has to carry his Grade One penalty. Back at the minimum trip Conor O'Dwyer's mount can reverse Down Royal form with Splendour.
The conditions hurdle is a trappy looking race on the face of it but Rocket Ship's victory at Cork last month was so impressive it will be disappointing if he cannot follow on from that.
Fans of the big Cheltenham hope Total Enjoyment will be looking keenly at the handicap hurdle where Sanghasta looks attractively weighted at the right end of the handicap.
