Irish Horseracing Betting: Fairyhouse, Wednesday

005 Irish Racing / Darren Skelton / 12 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

A very tricky midweek Fairyhouse card is a sure sign that the jumps season proper is in full swing. Darren Skelton marks your card.

12:25 Fairyhouse Membership 2009 Maiden Hurdle (Div I) (4-5yo) £4,318.75

Today's card at Fairyhouse opens up with a difficult (aren't they always) maiden hurdle race. Charlie Swan's Glenstall Abbey looks like starting off favourite and probably has every right to be after two promising runs over obstacles to date. However, his run behind Donna's Palm last time is not looking as good as it did at the time after Zarinava let the form down at Naas a couple of weeks ago. His main rival here, Dan Dare is my nap on today's card so that's surely enough to take me away from Glenstall Abbey.

This is an ordinary race, let's get that straight first of all, so it won't take a whole lot of winning. Dan Dare was well put in his place by Bob Lingo last time but that was only his second start to date and he has every right to improve on that, also the horse that beat him that day may very well be Cheltenham class. Possibly more importantly for some, Dan Dare is Noel Meade's only horse at today's Fairhouse meeting and at this time of the year Mr Meade is definitely a trainer to follow.

1:00 Fairyhouse Membership 2009 Maiden Hurdle (Div II) (4-5yo) £4,318.75

Another tricky maiden race and coincidently another with a favourite out of that infamous Donn's Palm race from the end of October. If Glenstall Abbey wins the first race on today's card then Smoking Aces will become even more of a good thing than he possibly already is.

There is no doubt that Zarinava let the form of this race down recently but there doesn't seem to be anything like the quality of Dan Dare in Smoking Ace's opposition today so he almost becomes a selection by default. However, if Glenstall Abbey doesn't run a massive race in the first, it might be worth looking elsewhere for the winner here. The only problem is, every other horse in this race has to be called a dark house and they all have something to prove. If need be, we may have to look to the market for guidance.

1:30 Bobbyjo Bistro Handicap Hurdle (4yo+,77-90) £4,318.75

There are no easy races at Fairyhouse today, that's for sure. Fit the Cove runs off a potentially lenient hurdles mark but his forecast price looks a bit too short for my liking. This is a difficult race, there's no doubt about that, and there are about ten horses here who have some chance of winning. I'm going to side with the top weight, Champion Gold, who is potentially a cut above the rest of this field. Charles Coakely's gelding returned from a lengthy absence this year with a very good effort on the flat at Listowel. Horses that finished around him include Zarinava and Cork all Star - horses that have arguably gone onto better things than this. There is a good chance that Champion Gold will go off here at a double figure price, and to me, that's value.

2:05 Winter Festival 2008 Maiden Hurdle (5yo) £4,318.75

Another maiden race next, but one with a favourite that practically jumps off the page - Head of the Posse . John Kiely's horse has probably the best bit of form on offer here from a promising bumper horse and he's almost picked by default because of the lack of any worthy opposition. His second to Prince Rudi at Punchestown two weeks ago stands head and shoulders above any other piece of form in the race and the only obvious danger, What's Up Gordon will need to improve quite a bit to challenge this short price favourite.

2:40 fairyhouseracecourse.ie Handicap Hurdle (4yo+,81-109) £6,351.10

The most valuable race on the card is probably the hardest to decipher and Michael Moran's Tryptronic will probably be popular after a decent comeback run at Down Royal last time. This horse has won at this course and distance in the past and a race of this nature probably wouldn't be too far from his grasp. However, there is a queue of dangers and my pick of the bunch is Got the Urge. Philip Rothwell's horse ran a race full of promise at Gowran park last time and there is good reason to suggest that he can come on a good bit from that form, even on this forecast heavy ground. This is the hardest race he has encountered so far in his brief career but he probably has more potential in him than a lot of others here.

3:15 20% Ticket Discount On Line Beginners Chase (4yo+) £5,080.88

A Sixteen runner beginner's chase doesn't exactly scream "have a bet!" especially when they're all beginning to look a bit exposed. To be honest, looking at all these horses it seems that their trainers are probably starting to run out of ideas about what to do with them. Nuvelli could probably have been called a horse of potential when finishing second to Offaly in a maiden hurdle here last year and then when he won a bumper by 15 lengths his trainer and connections were probably thinking that they had a fairly decent animal on their hands.

However, he then went on to be a very expensive failure when beaten at odds on in another maiden hurdle. He's still going to be our selection today though because his first race over the large obstacle when beaten by Chiraaz could be called promising, but even more so because it was on very heavy, almost un-raceable ground and the horse was making his reappearance after eighteen months off the track. Knocknagow Leader will probably go off favourite here and will be a creditable threat to our selection here but I think 2m 5 furlongs in heavy ground may be a bridge too far for Edward O Grady's Gelding.

3:45 Course Signage Beginners Chase (5yo+) £5,080.88

The smallest field of the day and another beginner's chase contest is the last race on Fairyhouse's card. Dessie Hughes has found an ideal opportunity for his talented Fond of a Drop to get off the mark over fences and although with a bigger field we could probably find something to trouble him we almost have to make him our default pick here.

It's probable that most trainers were reluctant to enter their horses over such a long trip on such bad ground and we should probably heed that warning when having a bet here because this is a very difficult trip for any horse, nevermind a chasing novice.

Step Outside can't really be put forward with any confidence because he was well and truly put in his place by Fond of a Drop at Punchestown in October so for a bit of each way value it may be worth siding with Archaeologist. PJ Gilligan's horse can definitely be described as a dark horse here with just about no form to his name but I understand that his enthusiastic connections are expectant of a very good run and henceforth a useful career over the large obstacles.