18+ | Commercial Content | T&Cs apply | Wagering and T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly | Advertising Disclosure

Classic hope Icon starts off in Madrid Handicap

London Icon London Icon
© Photo Healy Racing

Classic hope London Icon gets his campaign under way in the Woodlands 100 Club Madrid Handicap at Naas on Sunday.

Trainer Adrian Keatley has the Irish and French 2000 Guineas in mind for his Elzaam colt, who will sport the colours of his new Hong Kong-based owner Simon Kwok for the first time.

London Icon was a dominant winner of a maiden at this venue last October under Pat Smullen, comfortably accounting for subsequent winner Night Of Power, and the nine-times champion jockey keeps the ride in a race won by subsequent Irish Guineas hero Awtaad two years ago.

Keatley said: "Pat has been ride him a couple of times this year and he's been very happy with him.

"He looks great. He won't be in love with the ground, but he handled it at the end of last year as a two-year-old and he's a bigger, strong horse now.

"We'll have a better idea of where we stand after Sunday. Hopefully he can make a winning start to the year and justify our fondness of him."

London Icon concedes weight to 13 rivals, including a quartet from the Joseph O'Brien yard and Richard Fahey's British raider Crownthorpe.

Fahey and jockey Tony Hamilton are also represented in the Naas Racecourse Launches The 2018 Flat Season Handicap when George Bowen goes to post for the six-furlong sprint.

It is not the first time the son of Dark Angel has been sent on an Irish expedition, as he landed a major prize when triumphant in the 'Bold Lad' Sprint Handicap at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend in 2015.

Aidan O'Brien has just the two runners on the card. Hence goes under Seamie Heffernan in the Kildare Post & Kildare Now Maiden, while Full Moon (Donnacha O'Brien) also has prospects for Ballydoyle in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.