Three Grade One races at Fairyhouse

today´s Fairyhouse fixture is one of the best Irish N.H. meetings of the year, featuring 3 Grade one races and also a Grade Three. They all have small fields but are nonetheless highly competitive. The Hatton´s Grace Hurdle over 2 1/2 miles at 15.40 CET is the main event and Voler la Vedette (Colm Murphy/ Andrew Lynch) will be attempting to repeat her victory from last year.

Since then she has been runner-up 4 times, notably when chasing home Buck´ s House in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham. So You8ng (Willie Mullins/ Paul Townend) was ninth then, and stable-companion Zaidpour (Ruby Walsh) looks the stable´s best hope. However the main threat to Voler la Vedette, who was a bit disappointing on her seasonal debut but is generally very consistent and a course specialist, could be Monksland (Noel Meade/ Paul Carberry), 3rd of 19 in the Neptune at Cheltenham and an easy winner of his only start since. We hope that Voler La Vedette´s defeat last time was just a blip and expect to triumph again, especially as she is in receipt of 7 lbs from her male opponents.

The Drinmore Novice Chase over the same distance at 14,35 should go to Dedigout (Tony Martin/ Davy Russell), a Grade One winning novice hurdler last season, who made a spectacular debut over fences when winning by 34 lengths at Punchestown. All 5 runners here won over fences last time out, so he is no certainty, and Arvika Ligeonniere (Mullins/ Walsh), who made a winning comeback in May after two years off the trrack, looks the likeliest danger.

The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle over 2 miles at 14.05 is another hot race. 5 of the 6 runners won last time, the exception being Midnight Oil (Russell), one of 3 runners trained by Willie Mullins, and he is by no means out of it, although his stable companions Champagne Fever (Walsh) and Zuzka (Townend) are possibly in with a bigger chance. Champagne Fever won both the champion bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestowm in the spring, and won his first race over the sticks easily enough, but faces strong opposition here. We just prefer Minsk (Dessie Hughes/ Bryan Cooper), who was a smart flat horse for John Oxx and has made a pleasing start to his hurdling career - although he might find this trip on the short side.

In any case Hughes and Cooper should take the opening 3yo hurdle at 13.35 with Our Conor, who was quite useful on the flat and won his race over the sticks in the style of a very promising performer.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Our Conor - Brog Deas - South South West
2. Race: Champagne Fever - Minsk - Jezki
3. Race: Dedigout - Arvika Ligeonniere - Buckers Bridge
4. Race: Our Girl Salley - Rising Time - Shop Dj
5. Race: Voler La Vedette - Monksland - Zaidpour
6. Race: Tarquinius - Highdownhill - Ardglen
7. Race: Saffron Wells - Outlander - Thomond