Fairyhouse: AP and JP again?

Top Irish owner JP McManus is having a great run and his My Tent or Yours put himself bang in the middle of the Champion Hurdle picture when easily winning the Fighting Fifth yesterday with the owner´s retained jockey Tony McCoy (AP) in the saddle. Today McCoy is in Ireland to ride another Champion Hurdle hope in the same colours, Jessica Harrington´s Jezki in the Grade One Hatton´s Grace Hurdle at 15,15 CET at Fairyhouse. Jezki is a very smart performer who has won 7 of his last 8 races, his only defeat being in top company at the Cheltenham Festival. All these races have been over 2 miles and he is trying today´s longer trip for the first time, but the trainer does not seem bothered, and we shall take her word for it. Rule the World (Mouse Morris/ Davy Russell), one of two Gigginstown runners, also ran a great race at Cheltenham, when runner-up to The New One and looks the main danger, although he has apparently had health and injury problems since. The other two runners are both trained by Willie Mullins, who has dominated the Irish season so far; he can never be underestimated, but they both need to show improvement and both probably need much softer ground than they will encounter today. Zaidpour, Ruby´s choice, won this last year but the opposition looks much stronger this time.

This is a really strong card and starts with 5 graded races, with the Grade One Royal Bond Hurdle at 13.40 the main supoorting feature. Jezki won this last year and Harrington now saddles two runners, with Gambling Girl (Robbie Power), the only filly in the field and thus getting 7 lbs from all the others, probably her main hope. However this is a good field with all10 runners having classy form, headed by Mullins´3 runners. Stable jockey Ruby Walsh partners Spanish-bred Alonso, while Paul Townend is on French-bred Renneti, both easy winners of their only Irish starts, while David Casey is aboard German-bred Arctic Fire, who slipped up last time when still going well. He is by Soldier Hollow from an established German family and might run into the places at a big price.

Another German-bred with a good chance is Don Cossack (Gordon Elliot/ Russell) in the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase at 14.10, where Sizing Rio (Henry de Bromhead/ Andrew Lynch) looks the main danger.. AP rides JP´s Carlingford Lough for Jon Kiely here; this smart handicapper was runner-up in the Cork National last time, but might find today´s trip of 2 1/2 miles on the short side.

The opening 3yo hurdle at 13.10 should go to the filly Analifet (Mullins/ Walsh), an impressive winner of both her starts so far. However she will do well to emulate last year´s winner Our Conor, who went on to an easy success in the Troiump Hurdle.