Sunday Fairyhouse Tips and Preview by Dave Stevos
Sunday Fairyhouse Tips: Royal Bond Meeting
I don’t think I have ever had a worse day tipping than on Saturday. Howling Milan ran a shocker in the opener and that was probably the high point! Silver Streak was carried out at the second hurdle, Potterman unseated his rider and Shantou Village did the same. And to add insult to injury, Yorkhill went and won at 66s after I abandoned him. The Russian Doyen then compounded our misery by falling in the last! It really was a complete and utter disaster and it wasn’t easy finding the resolution to preview tomorrow’s action. However, it is a smashing card and it would be rude not to have a few bets. You can check out my Sunday Fairyhouse Tips and preview below…
Sunday Fairyhouse Tips: 12.30pm – Bar One Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
A field of 6 juveniles will go to post for this 2 mile Grade 2 hurdle. It looks like four of them have a realistic chance and the favourite is Saint Sam for Townend and Mullins. He is having his first start in Ireland after winning his last two in France. The form doesn’t look anything special though and at the prices he looks worth taking on.
Zanahiyr is next best in the betting for Kennedy and Elliott. A decent type on the level, he took to hurdling well at Ballinrobe last time (18f sft). Bar one sticky jump 3 out he was pretty good over his obstacles but it looked like he would stay further than 18f. The drop back in trip rates as a slight worry and it will be interesting to see how he handles it.
Druid’s Altar was impressive last time at Punchestown when winning over 17f on soft/heavy. His best form on the flat came on deep ground too, so the ground may be against him at Fairyhouse. That leaves Glorious Zoff, who looks the Elliott second string on jockey bookings. He will appreciate the ground and the more it dries out, the better.
A winner on his hurdling debut by 12L on yielding at Sligo, he was disappointing when odds on to follow up at Sedgefield. However, that was a muddling type of heat and he could go much better granted a more truly run race. Given the slight doubts about the other three main contenders, at odds of 16/1 Glorious Zoff could sneak into the money.
Sunday Fairyhouse Tips: Glorious Zoff e/w @ 16/1
Fairyhouse Sunday: 1.05pm – Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
A field of 7 novice hurdlers will line up at the start for this 16f Grade 1. Ballyadam has won his last two starts by a combined distance of 30L and he is odds on. He was very impressive on his first hurdle run when hosing up in a Down Royal maiden (16.5f sft). I don’t think he beat much and this will be a far sterner test of his credentials. If he wins as easily again in this field he could be a very special horse for Cheveley Park and Gordon Elliott.
Cask Mate returned from almost 3 years off the track with a very nice maiden win at Limerick (16f sft). He proved there was no fluke about that when beating Dewcup by 10L in a 20f rated race at Punchestown (yld/sft). Dewcup is rated 137 so it was an impressive performance and it is arguably the best piece of form on offer.
N’golo and Annexation lock horns again after they met in a Grade 3 at Navan last time out. Willie Mullins’ charge prevailed by 1.5L and it is hard to see Henry De Bromhead’s inmate reversing the form given he is 4lb worse off at the weights. Ballyadam brings the most potential into the race but he has to deliver and at odds of 5/1 Cask Mate could put it right up to him. A small win bet on Noel Meade’s horse is advised.
Sunday Fairyhouse: Cask Mate win @ 5/1
Fairyhouse: 1.35pm – Drinmore Novice Chase (Grade 1)
Envoi Allen puts his unbeaten record on the line again in this 20f Novice Chase. He only has 3 rivals to beat here and he is a best price of 1/7. His form is in a different stratosphere to his rivals and he is impossible to oppose. The question is who will chase him home and I think it could be Home By The Lee. He has won his last two, including a Cork Grade 3 last time out. Assemble has come up short on both tries in Graded company and so has Coko Beach. This looks Envoi Allen’s to lose but his price doesn’t appeal in the slightest. No bet.
Sunday Fairyhouse Tips: No Bet
Fairyhouse 2.05pm – Porterstown Handicap Chase (Grade B)
The prize money for this year’s Porterstown Chase has been increased and it is no surprise that a maximum field of 20 will battle it out for the inflated pot. Elliott runs at least 7 and if Out Sam gets in it will be 8. On jockey bookings it looks like Monbeg Notorious is his number one but on recent form, Troytown Chase runner up Roaring Bull looks the most likely. However, Elliott has failed to win this race since 2015 and I am going to take a chance on another one that ran a nice race in the Troytown, Cooldine Bog. Trained by Andy Slattery, Darragh O’Keefe will ride and the nicer ground at Fairyhouse will suit this horse better than the heavy conditions at Navan.
Overpriced
This usually bold jumping front runner finished 6th at Navan, 31L behind the winner The Jam Man. A mistake at the 4th last checked his momentum and he dropped back through the field. However, I thought he showed a good attitude to stay on again to get back up for 6th and he finished ahead of Death Duty, Forza Milan and Cheb De Kerviniou. They are priced up at 20/1, 28/1 and 16/1 respectively for this race, yet Cooldine Bog is 40/1.
His last start on soft ground resulted in an excellent effort behind Line Out over 21f at Punchestown. That horse beat Dromore Lad off level weights on his previous start at Ballinrobe. Cooldine Bog was 0.5L behind Line Out getting 4lb and he gets 8lb from Dromore Lad here, so on that line of form he should be able to beat that rival. This will be the furthest trip he has tackled so far but I think there is a decent chance he will get it on the evidence of his Navan effort. 40/1 looks massive to me and at those odds, Cooldine Bog looks well worth chancing each way.
Sunday Fairyhouse Tips: Cooldine Bog e/w @ 40/1 NAP (6 Places)
Fairyhouse 2.35pm – Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Grade 1)
The final Grade 1 race on the card is the 20f Hatton’s Grace hurdle. There may only be 7 runners but there are some seriously talented types on show. Wonder mare Honeysuckle is the obvious starting point for De Bromhead and Blackmore. This marvellous mare swept all before her last season, culminating in a super win at Cheltenham. She is 8/8 under rules and plenty will fancy her to keep the good run going. However, this is a very tough starting point for her seasonal comeback and she will need to be near her very best, even in receipt of weight from the boys.
I am going to take her on and the one I’ll be backing is Beacon Edge. Trained by Noel Meade, this 6yo has looked a top prospect this season. A facile 9L win on yielding at Downpatrick (19f) was then followed by a near 5L win in a Grade 3 at Galway (20.5f). The step up from 2 miles has helped him to blossom, even if his nose defeat to Jason The Militant last season over that trip doesn’t read too badly now.
The horse he beat into 2nd the last day at Galway, Minella Melody, ran really well behind Concertista at Fairyhouse on Saturday and it looks fairly solid form. It earned him a rating of 149, 10lb inferior to Honeysuckle, but he could easily improve again. He hasn’t finished out of the first 2 on his last 5 starts 12211 and at odds of 11/1 hopefully he keeps that sequence going today.
Sunday Fairyhouse Tips: Beacon Edge e/w @ 11/1
Fairyhouse 3.05pm – Handicap Hurdle (Grade A)
This is another treacherous looking handicap with 13 going to post. If you are looking for an each way bet at massive odds, Hearts Are Trumps fits the bill. Des McDonagh’s charge is in off 136 here, the same mark off which he was a superb second in the Galway Hurdle behind Aramon. He has failed to back that up in some lesser races since, but the return to Fairyhouse offers hope of a revival in form. This will be his third run in this contest. He finished a close 4th off 136 in 2017 and 6th beat 7L off 139 in 2019.
He also ran a blinder over this C&D at the Grand National meeting in 2019 when 3rd, again off 136, behind Ivanovich Gorbatov. Really testing ground doesn’t suit this son of Oscar but ground on the easy side is fine and he should enjoy the yielding to soft conditions today. Slippers Madden rides and Des McDonagh would love to win a valuable race like this at his local track. With 4 places on offer with a few firms, Hearts Are Trumps is the each way pick at 25s.
