2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Tips by Dave Stevos
2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Preview
It was a mixed bag on Saturday but at least we didn’t end up empty handed. Espoir De Teillee got us off the mark, nicking place money at 16s. Winds Of Fire kept up his end of the bargain for our reverse forecast but Tupelo Mississippi didn’t. Annsam ran a massive race for us at 12/1 and if he learns to settle he is going to win some big races. The snow came an hour too late for Sam’s Adventure and Mister Malarky wasn’t in the mood. Watch him hack up at 40s next time out! The focus switches to one of Ireland’s best meetings on Sunday. Check out our 2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival preview and tips below.
12.35 – Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 3)
The first race we’ll look at is this Grade 3 hurdle for the 3yos. Some lovely horses have won this in the recent past, including the likes of Espoir D’Allen, Rashaan and Our Conor. Is there anything as good as those three in the 2021 renewal? The most likely star in the field is the odds on favourite Fil Dor. Gordon Elliot’s son of Doctor Dino absolutely destroyed the opposition in a 3yo hurdle at Down Royal last time out by 16L. The ground today will be a lot quicker but he has placed flat form on good to soft so he should handle it. Will he be as good on it though?
Chances are he will but I am instead going to try and nick some e/w money with Doctor Brown Bear. Brendan Duke’s son of Estidhkaar has shaped well on his last two hurdle starts. Firstly, at this track and then at Punchestown last time out. He tried to make all last time at Punchestown (16f yld). At one stage 2f out it looked like he was going to put it right up to the impressive Ben Siegel. However, he paid the price for trying to go with the winner and if he was ridden with a little bit more restraint he could have finished 2nd.
Doctor Brown Bear has looked a decent jumper and we already know he will enjoy the ground. He also has experience over C&D. The top two in the market have obviously achieved more and on his Killarney hurdling debut he has a good bit to find with Feigh. However, Brendan Duke’s charge is improving with every run and if he gets loose on the front, he could hold on for place money at odds of 33/1.
2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Tip: Doctor Brown Bear e/w @ 33/1
1.05 – Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
I was gutted to see that Colonel Mustard passed up this assignment as he would have run a big race at a price. We still have eight contenders for this Grade 1 and all eyes will be on the exciting My Mate Mozzie. This fella is unbeaten in three NH starts, his sole reversal coming in a 13f flat race at Ballinrobe. He won his maiden hurdle at Punchestown by 8L and he was 10L too good for his rivals in a G3 at Navan last time out. Gavin Cromwell’s son of Born To Sea could be anything but the same could be said about a couple of his rivals.
Mighty Potter is also unbeaten after two starts. He landed a maiden at Down Royal on soft by nearly 30L and it was soft for his debut bumper win too. It was a bad maiden he won up North but still, he could only beat what was in front of him. Will today’s good ground suit? His half brother French Dynamite liked it so there is every chance this horse will too.
The other unbeaten horse in this race is Impervious. This daughter of Shirocco is 3/3 over hurdles. She won a maiden at Cork (19f gd/yld), a novice at Listowel (20f gd/yld) and then last time out at Down Royal she won a Grade 3 by 5L. That form hasn’t been tested but the horse she beat into 2nd at Listowel has since placed in Listed company. The only worry is whether she has the speed for this trip. She was doing her best work at the finish at Down Royal and she has already proven she has the stamina for 19f and 20f.
Arctic Bred For The Job
Three Stripe Life was 4th in the Champion Bumper last season. He was pretty impressive over C&D when winning his first start over timber. That was a weak affair though and his jumping will be tested more today. The interesting one at huge odds is Arctic Warrior. This half brother to Arctic Fire was in the process of running a massive race when falling at the 2nd last on his Irish debut at Down Royal. The winner, Decimation, has since placed in G2 company. Arctic Warrior showed that was no fluke when making amends at Sligo on his next outing (20f yld).
He returned to action at Tipperary (16f yld) when he was sent off 5/4 for a Grade 3. However, he ran no sort of race and was pulled up. He may well have had a breathing issue and connections now apply the tongue tie. Arctic Fire was placed in this race in 2013 and he won the Hatton’s Grace two years later. Can Arctic Warrior follow in his hoofsteps? His last run was too bad to be true and I am hoping the tongue tie eradicates any problems he had there. If it does, hopefully he can sneak into the frame at 28/1.
2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Tip: Arctic Warrior e/w @ 28/1
1.35 – Drinmore Novice Chase (Grade 1)
The second Grade 1 of the day is the Drinmore Chase for the novices. Hopefully all ten will go to post for this 20f contest. It is another fairly open looking heat and you could make a serious case for quite a few of them. Gabynako was impressive when winning his chase debut here over 21f last time out. He is the market leader today and he was 2.25L ahead of Fury Road in that Beginners’ Chase. However, Gavin Cromwell’s charge had the benefit of a pipe opener whereas Fury Road was having his first run of the season.
Gordon Elliott’s son of Stowaway didn’t get the clearest of passages and I can see him getting a lot closer to Gabynako with that run under his belt. The good ground will be right up this fella’s street too, even if most of his best hurdles form came on softer. His bumper and point wins came on good and it was nice ground here for his last run too. His two runs for Sneezy Foster during Elliott’s suspension were poor but he showed a lot of potential last time. At the prices, Fury Road looks worth backing each way at 9/1.
2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Tip: Fury Road e/w @ 17/2 (4 places W Hill)
2.05 – Porterstown Handicap Chase (Grade B)
The good ground has scared off a lot of runners for this Irish National Trial and only 11 will go to post. The one I like at odds of 11/1 is Forza Milan. James Nash trains this 9yo son of Milan and he ran a blinder in this race last season. He finished 4th behind Court Maid and he is back for a repeat bid off 3lbs lower. This horse has done most of his winning on softer ground. However, he showed at Cheltenham last time that he handles better ground too.
He made a bad mistake in the early stages and was lucky to stay up but he knuckled down well afterwards and stayed on for 4th (25f gd). The step back up in trip today will suit him and he loves it at Fairyhouse. He has form figures of 241 here and Gavin Brouder takes off a very handy 7lbs. Forza Milan will think he’s running loose carrying just 9st 13lbs and if he puts in a clear round and reproduces his Cheltenham form, he’ll be hard to keep out of the frame at odds of 11/1.
2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Tip: Forza Milan e/w @ 11/1 (4 places W Hill)
2.40 – Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Grade 1)
Ten will go to post in this year’s Hatton’s Grace and it is a cracking renewal. Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle returns to action and all eyes will be on her. Rachael Blackmore’s mount won this last year but she was pushed to the pin of her collar by Ronald Pump. He was making up huge ground on her after the final hurdle and in another few strides he would have caught her. Nothing else managed to get that close to her throughout the rest of the season so if she is going to get beat, maybe first time up over 20f is the time it will happen.
Ronald Pump is back to have another go but he lacks a recent run this time. His ultimate aim will be the Stayers’ Hurdle in March and this will be a stepping stone towards that. Given his record fresh and his record at 20f, I am going to back Latest Exhibition. Paul Nolan’s charge was last sighted finishing a gallant 4th in the Irish National off 153. The 8yo son of Oscar is a talented chaser but he is also a more than capable hurdler.
Won First Time Up
The son of Oscar won first time up in 2019 at Galway and he also won on his seasonal bow last year. They were lesser races than this admittedly but clearly, he goes well fresh. He hasn’t run over hurdles since he was beat a neck by Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett in 2020 which isn’t bad form. He has form figures of 1211 at distances ranging from 19f to 21f and his sole 20f start resulted in an easy G2 win.
Paul Nolan’s charge will likely be going for all the big staying handicap chases in the Spring but he is more than talented enough to nick some prize money in a race like this. Hopefully he is fit and raring to go and if he is, he could well outrun his odds of 20/1.
2021 Fairyhouse Winter Festival Tip: Latest Exhibition e/w @ 20/1 NB
3.10 – Handicap Hurdle (Grade A)
We close the show with a 21 runner 16f handicap and I am sweet on Wolf Prince. Trained by Gavin Cromwell, this horse was a winner at Punchestown on his last hurdles start (18f gd). He was well beat next time out on the flat at Gowran but that was on bottomless ground. This son of Pour Moi prefers a sounder surface and looking at how the form of his last run has worked out, a mark of 142 may not be beyond him.
In that Punchestown race he beat Dysart Diamond (listed winner next time) and Koshari (Aintree handicap winner off 149 next time). The form of his Listowel handicap 2nd (20f gd/yld) is decent too. His two previous runs over today’s C&D yielded two wins on yielding and his career form figures on good on the flat and over hurdles reads 221. James O’Sullivan takes off 5lbs and with trip, track and ground all to suit, Wolf Prince is the e/w NAP of the day at 20/1.
