With the ghastly weather outside, you’d be forgiven for having a double duvet day this weekend, but with some seriously good horses heading to Fairyhouse, I’ll brave it to the Meath track.
Some very good horses won the Grade One Royal Bond before climbing to even greater heights, and Willie Mullins is holding two aces this renewal. For us, it’s picking which one will finish in front is the difficulty.
Long Dog has won all four contests this season by an average distance of 7 lengths. His stablemate Bachasson has also won all four this season, by an average of just over 6 lengths, so both a A-plus students.
Ruby has picked Long Dog, which more than likely explains his favouritism, but Bacchason carries 3 lbs less despite being rated 3 lbs better, so he’s the bet for me.
The Opener is a Grade Three juvenile hurdle, so we have little form to go on, other than that of the betting, which has seen the last 6 favourites deliver, so look to the market on this one perhaps.
Arctic Fire was sort of an unsung hero last season, runner up in the Champion Hurdle and some would argue, present company excluded, a very unlucky loser of the Aintree Hurdle. (I think Jezki would have beaten him anyway). He made a winning seasonal debut at Navan and next on his agenda is the Hattons Grace at 1.40 on sunday.
However, there could be a snake in the grass by the name of Gwencily Berbas. His owner Barry O’Connell seems to have employed a revised strategy in terms of his training management of his illustrious string, whereby many have been moved to Alan Flemming, who it seems will be, by and large, the main trainer for the Dublin Stockbroker.
The association looks a successful one, and the horse mentioned above hammered a Willie Mullins fav under his tutelage last time. That Grade Three has previously been won by good horses like Jezki and Kitten Rock and he could spring a surprise.
The star of the Sunday’s show will surely be No More Heroes and come the 2.40 I’m sure I’ll be glad I dragged myself out in the rain to see what could be a very special horse in the Drinmore Novice Chase. He was sublime on his chasing debut and I have every confidence that he will be as astonishingly good again, if not better.
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