Tipping / Stuart Jones / 13 December 2010 /

After several failed attempts, Fairyhouse look set to stage one of the feature meetings of the jumps season in Ireland this Wednesday and the perseverance of those involved should be rewarded with some top-class action.

The first of four Grade 1 contests on the card is the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle over two miles and, despite attracting just the six entries, it looks sure to prove a fascinating affair. The Willie Mullins-trained Zaidpour is likely to be a warm favourite. A useful one-mile winner on the Flat for Alain de Royer Dupre and a half-brother to Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar, he was installed as second-favourite behind Cue Card for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the back of a very impressive win in a maiden at Punchestown on his hurdling debut.

Zaidpour is unlikely to have things all his own way, though, and the most interesting of the remainder look to be The Shepherd King and Carloswayback. Both are well worth their place, with the former barely off the bridle when making a successful hurdling debut at Galway and the latter open to considerable improvement on the back of his winning start over timber at Limerick. Another that deserves a mention is Noel Meade's Perfect Smile. Although more exposed than the aforementioned trio, the son of Anshan showed his well-being with an easy win at Punchestown in October and will have no problem with the likely testing conditions.

The Drinmore Novice Chase will probably be the main focus of attention, though, with Mikael D'Haguenet set to make his eagerly anticipated chase debut for Willie Mullins. The 2008/9 Ballymore Hurdle winner ended that season with a Timeform hurdles rating of 159 and can call upon the experience of one run over fences in France. He's joined by several other exciting prospects, including Punchestown maiden chase winner Noble Prince, who has the potential to make into a leading novice in light of his smart hurdles form. The Noel Meade-trained Realt Dubh may have had his share of injury problems, but he's quickly made up for lost time since sent over fences, jumping well and readily accounting for Gates of Rome in a Grade 2 novice at Punchestown last time. Jessies Dream looked much more assured than in a couple of tries over fences last season when winning at Galway and is another to throw into the mix for what is potentially the most informative novice run anywhere so far in 2010/11.

The Hatton's Grace Hurdle rounds off the top-class action and provides Solwhit with a good opportunity to reverse form with his Punchestown conqueror Hurricane Fly. Solwhit set himself up nicely for this race with victory over Voler La Vedette in a Grade 1 at Punchestown last month and promises to be better suited by the testing two and a half miles than the Mullins runner. The likes of Donnas Palm, Mourad and Powerstation have all come up short in Grade 1's in the past, whilst this is a much stronger renewal than the one Oscar Dan Dan took in 2009/10.

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