NAAS HAS emerged as the big winner from next year's Curragh closure and the track will host its first ever Group One race when it stages the 2009 Moyglare Stud Stakes, reports Brian O'Connor.

As well as Ireland's most important race for juvenile fillies, Naas will also stage the hugely valuable Goffs Millions races next year.

The reshuffle is a result of the Curragh's 18-month shut-down for reconstruction, which starts next July, and was confirmed at yesterday's announcement of the 2009 fixture list by Horse Racing Ireland.

With racing finished at Tralee, five of its seven fixtures have been redistributed with nearby Killarney now staging a four-day August festival in addition to their July meeting.

Other notable features see Fairyhouse's Easter festival revert to three days while Galway's September festival has been extended to four days although it will begin a week earlier next year on August 29th.

Leopardstown's popular summer evening meetings will be run on Thursdays rather than Wednesdays next year.

In total the number of race-meetings has increased from 350 to 355.