Big stars lining up for fairyhouse meeting
World-record Grade 1 winner Hurricane Fly and the current Champion Hurdler Jezki head a terrific list of entries for the Fairyhouse Premier Jump Racing Weekend on 29th and 30th November.
Willie Mullins’ Hurricane Fly is joined by stable-mates Faugheen, Annie Power and Zaidpour in the initial entries for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, while Jessica Harrington’s Jezki is joined by his half-brother Jetson, who became the only horse, since 2009, to beat the great Quevega in Ireland or Britain when he won at Grade 1 level at Punchestown in May. Both Hurricane Fly and Jezki are previous winners of the race.
Other Cheltenham Festival winners who could take their place are the unbeaten World Hurdle winner More Of That, for Jonjo O’Neill, and Triumph Hurdle winner Tiger Roll, trained by Gordon Elliott.
There is also a returning star, Monksland, entered for the two-and-a-half mile Grade 1 contest. He has not been seen since winning the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2012 but has always looked a classy individual for Noel Meade.
Also on the Fairyhouse card is the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase in which The Tullow Tank looks the star attraction.
Having won two Grade 1 hurdles last year, including the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at this fixture, he made his highly-anticipated chasing debut on November 4th, also at Fairyhouse, where he could not have been more impressive.
Recent chasing debut winners Apache Stronghold, Shanahan’s Turn and the impressive Navan winner Gilgamboa are also entered while Willie Mullins’ Alelchi Inois, the winner of five novice chases, could also take his place.
The third of the Grade 1’s on the card is the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle for which a host of promising young horses have been entered.
Willie Mullins has won three of the last six stagings of the race and he has no shortage of potential runners, although the pick of his entries look to be Punchestown Champion Bumper winner, Shaneshill, and French import Allez Colombieres.
County Meath trainer Gordon Elliott has the highly-promising dual bumper winner No More Heroes entered for Gigginstown House Stud and also the JP McManus-owned Free Expression who was a good winner at Naas on Saturday. Sheamus, a winner of his last four starts for Dessie Hughes is another interesting entry, while English trainer Venetia Williams could be represented by Otago Trail.
Fairyhouse Racecourse Manager, Peter Roe was delighted with the entries, saying: “We are thrilled with the quality of the entries for what is now firmly established as the best jumps fixture in the first half of the season. We are thrilled to have the last two winners of the Champion Hurdle and the 2014 World Hurdle winner among the entries for the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, while the two novice races have also attracted stellar entries.”
Barney O’Hare, CEO of Bar One Racing, said: “We are delighted, once again, to be associated with such a prestigious and historic meeting and could hardly have wished for a better entry for the three Grade 1 contests that we sponsor.
“The fixture is well established as a key one in the racing calendar, and rightly so, as the list of previous winners of the big races – from Istabraq, Hardy Eustace, Moscow Flyer, Dorans Pride, Limestone Lad and Solerina through to Brave Inca, Hurricane Fly, Jezki and The Tullow Tank – entitles it to be.
“We are looking forward to yet another very enjoyable day of quality racing at one of the top venues in the sport.”
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