Troubadour timely boost for O'Brien

Racing Naas report: The high-class juvenile Troubadour kicked off his three-year-old campaign with an easy success at Naas last night which Aidan O'Brien hopes might help kick start the second half of his season.

Troubadour easily beat two rivals at odds of 1 to 3 and might be upped in class for his next start in York's Group One Juddmonte International.

"He's in that race and the Sussex Stakes next week. He's a possible for Goodwood but maybe York is more likely," said O'Brien who reflected on a frustrating season with his season of Ballydoyle blue-bloods.

"We just haven't been able to get a clear run with any of them," he said. "There's been no rhythm with all the little problems and the spring was a disaster. This fellow is starting back but the likes of Magritte and Wolfe Tone, I don't know if they will run again this year. But there's still a bit of the year to go so things might change."

O'Brien also reported a "wait and see" attitude is in operation with One Cool Cat who has disappointed this season.

The Athboy, Co Meath-based trainer Jane Thomas saddled her first winner when the 25 to 1 outsider Streets Of Steel beat the favourite Almier in the handicap hurdle. The winning jockey Denis O'Regan faces a schooling session this morning with the winner's stable companion Sum Leader who is on course to run in Wednesday's Galway Plate.

"We have 15 horses in, mostly our own, and Jane has had the licence for about six months," said the trainer's partner, John Smyth. "The horses had the virus about three months ago but they seem to be coming out of it."

Sit And Settle made a quick reappearance in the apprentice handicap after being narrowly beaten at Ballinrobe on Monday evening and she made it count with a half-length defeat of Set Barabbas Free who made up quite a lot of ground in the closing stages.

A number of horses were withdrawn on the night due to the firm ground conditions but Sit And Settle's trainer Declan Gillespie said: "She is adaptable enough on that ground and she was due one after the last night."

Dermot Weld is in the US supervising Simple Exchange's tilt at Saturday night's American Derby but he kept the home team ticking over with Descriptive who was half a length too good for the fast finishing Camouflage in the juvenile race.