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Big weekend in prospect at Fairyhouse

No More Heroes jumps aheadNo More Heroes jumps ahead
© Photo Healy Racing

Fresh from his excellent treble at Navan last Sunday, trainer Gordon Elliott is bidding for more glory at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival this weekend. His charge, No More Heroes, an impressive winner of his only start over fences at Punchestown last month, is sure to be a leading player in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase, one of three Grade 1 races on Sunday.

Elliott bids to win this race for the third time in the last five years having saddled Jessies Dream to win in 2010 and Don Cossack two years ago. No More Heroes is one of nine entries still remaining after today's forfeit stage with Outlander likely to represent last year's winning stable of Willie Mullins while recent Grade 2 Punchetown winner, Shantou Flyer, represents Colin Bowe and last weekend's Gowran Park chase winner, Monksland, also stands his ground.

In the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle, the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle runner up, Arctic Fire, heads the 10 entries remaining and Willie Mullins' charge could be joined by stable companions Petite Parisienne (a dual Grade 1 winner last season) and the long absent Clondaw Court.

Fresh from his narrow victory in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan earlier in the month, Arctic Fire could again be faced by Noel Meade's Monksland who finished a close second on that occasion while other notable contenders are Alan Fleming's recent Graded Naas winner, Gwencily Berbas, and Henry de Bromhead's Identity Thief along with Snow Falcon.

Trainer Willie Mullins holds a strong hand in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle with four of the remaining eight entries hailing from the Closutton yard. Mullins can choose from Thomas Hobson, runner up in the For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan last time, or Long Dog and Bachasson, both horses being four-time winners over hurdles while the other stable entry, Gangster, was a good winner at Listowel in September.

Among the opposition is the promising Gunnery Sergeant, who looked set to score at Gowran Park last weekend until falling at the second last hurdle while recent Thurles winner, Roman Gold, also takes his chance.

The other Graded race on an excellent card on Sunday is the Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 3) with Gordon Elliott's impressive Down Royal winner, Missy Tata, likely to prove tough to beat although she could be faced by five previous hurdle winners in the eight horse field.

Racing at Fairyhouse also takes place on Saturday with the EasyFix H'cap S'chase (Grade B) and the FKM Supporting Temple Street H'cap H'dle (Grade B) the twin features and both races have attracted a strong entry.

The smart Bright New Dawn is the highest-rated entry among a field of 19 for the EasyFix H'cap S'chase with Minella Foru, Gentleman Duke and Leap Dearg all likely to figure prominently while the 2014 Galway Hurdle winner, Thomas Edison, is likely to top the weights in the handicap hurdle for which 25 entries were received with the likes of Daneking, Wes Hardin and Good As Gold all likely to have decent chances in a competitive event.

Peter Roe, Fairyhouse Racecourse Manager, said: "I am delighted with the entries for our races and we must remember the strength in depth that these races have had in recent years with winners such as Nichols Canyon, Valseur Lido and Don Cossack in the last two years. The forecast for the weekend is good and we are looking forward to one of the highlights of the jumps season in Ireland and we are grateful to all our sponsors over the weekend but in particular Barney O'Hare and Bar One Racing."

Racing will be broadcast live on RTÉ2 from Fairyhouse on Sunday from 12.50pm. Robert Hall is joined by Ted Walsh alongside Andrew McNamara, Brian Gleeson, Tom Lee and Tracy Piggott for live coverage from the second day's racing at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival including the feature race the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle.