The Nursery of Champions

Naas Racecourse is known as ‘The Nursery of Champions’, the track has been where some of Europe’s most talented horses have honed their skills, going on to take gold and glory at home and abroad. The numbers speak for themselves with champions being made on both the Flat and National Hunt at Naas. To date, the winners of 30 Aintree Grand Nationals, 27 Cheltenham Gold Cups and eight King George VI Chase have either started their careers in Naas or raced on the track. In the past four years alone, horses have gone from Naas to the Cheltenham Festival and won the Gold Cup, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the Triumph Hurdle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice.

The Flat yields similarly excellent results. Little Big Bear, rated the best European two-year-old in 2022, won his maiden at Naas. So did Auguste Rodin, winner of the 2023 Epsom Derby, 2023 Irish Derby and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf. Since 2020, the Epsom Oaks, the English 2,000 Guineas, the English 1,000 Guineas, the Melbourne Cup and four Breeders’ Cups have also been won by horses that have pounded around the track at Naas.