Big day out in Fairyhouse on the cards

Many of the biggest names in National Hunt racing feature among the entries for the trio of Bar One Racing-sponsored Grade 1 races on the second day of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival on Sunday, November 29th.

Faugheen, Arctic Fire, Annie Power, Douvan, No More Heroes, Sizing John, Lord Scoundrel, Killultagh Vic, Yorkhill and Disko are just some of the stars that could line up on what is one of the great days of the Irish National Hunt season.

Faugheen, unbeaten in ten starts for Willie Mullins, heads an entry of 15 for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle. Successful in the Champion Hurdle at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals last season, Faugheen is one of seven Mullins-trained horses in the €85,000 event.

Arctic Fire, who made a winning return to action in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan yesterday, is also in the race, as is top mare Annie Power, who landed the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on her latest start in May.

Henry de Bromhead could be represented by his recent Grade 2 WKD Hurdle winner Identity Thief, while Gwencily Berbas, who readily beat Petite Parisienne to win the Grade 3 Fishery Lane Hurdle at Naas on Saturday, has been entered by Alan Fleming.

The Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase has attracted a strong entry of 28 horses, including the exciting Douvan, unbeaten in four starts over hurdles for Willie Mullins and successful in both the Supreme Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Grade 1 Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.

The champion trainer is responsible for 11 other entries in the €85,000 race including Killultagh Vic who finished last season with a win in the Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, having earlier won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys´ Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Gordon Elliott’s No More Heroes made a hugely impressive debut over fences at Punchestown in October, while Sizing John, behind Douvan on three occasions last season, was also an eye-catching winner on his chasing bow for Henry de Bromhead on the same afternoon. Elliott’s hand is further strengthened with the presence of his three-time chase winner Lord Scoundrel in the early entries.

Another notable entry is Jonjo O’Neill’s More Of That who won the Grade 1 World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2014.

A total of 31 horses have been put forward for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle with recent winners Disko, De Name Escapes Me and Gunnery Sergeant possible runners for Noel Meade.

Willie Mullins has 15 entries to choose from, including the dual bumper scorer Yorkhill, Long Dog, winner of his last four starts, and Bachasson, who achieved the same feat when coming through his toughest test to date when winning the Grade 3 Dolores Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Tipperary early last month.

The hugely impressive Down Royal winner Listen Dear is yet another notable Mullins entry, as are his recent French recruits Min and American Tom.

Gordon Elliott has made four entries in the €85,000 contest and his runaway Down Royal bumper winner Tombstone would be an intriguing starter, while Alan Fleming’s recent Naas second Marakoush would also be of interest if lining up.

Barney O’Hare, Managing Director of Bar One Racing, said, “We are delighted to be involved, once again, with such a prestigious and popular meeting. The list of winners of key races reads like a Who's Who of racing, including, in recent years, Hurricane Fly, Jezki, Don Cossack and, last year, Valseur Lido and Nichols Canyon. Everything looks set for more of the same this year. It's a superb meeting at one of racing's great venues and we're very much looking forward to November 29th.”

Peter Roe, General Manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, said, “The Fairyhouse Winter Festival is again set to be a highlight of the National Hunt season. Last year we witnessed three top class winners of our three Grade 1 Races in Lieutenant Colonel, Valseur Lido and Nichols Canyon. While most of our corporate hospitality is sold out for Saturday, November 28th, there is limited space remaining for Sunday, November 29th. The weekend has become a very popular feature of the first half of the jumps season in Ireland and is again strongly supported by Bar One Racing.”

Click to see entries.