Fairyhouse Tips: Elimay the bet on New Year's Day card

While the New Year's Day meetings in Ireland don't have quite the same quality as the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, there are still some classy operators on show at both Fairyhouse and Tramore, and some interesting lower-grade races that have a competitive element to them.

The headline event at Fairyhouse is the Grade 3 John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase (14:40), which features a fascinating clash between last year's Champion Chase winner Put The Kettle On and the very smart Elimay.

However, both come into this with question marks hanging over them having made below-par seasonal returns. The former was well held by Nube Negra when third in the Shloer at Cheltenham, while the latter was disappointing as the odds-on favourite in a listed mares chase at Aintree.

I suspect Elimay's is the more forgivable effort, coming as it did when the Willie Mullins yard wasn't firing completely on all cylinders, and she does receive a very handy 7 lb from a rival who is unproven over the extended 2m 5f trip.

There are no trip concerns with Elimay, who is a previous C&D winner, and I'd be a backer of this one at anything around the 7/4 mark.

Exciting French recruits

The Mullins yard unleash another potentially smart French recruit in the maiden hurdle that opens the card at 11:50, with Hubrisko coming here have won his sole start in a bumper at Le Lion-d'Angers in August last year.

A half-brother to the fairly useful winning hurdler/chaser Grand Bornand, this one shouldn't have any problem starting off over 2m 4f for his hurdling bow and is one to keep a close eye on with the future in mind.

Hubrisko is unlikely to have things all his own way, however, with several other powerful yards represented in what could be an informative novice event.

Of those with previous experience over timber, Gordon Elliott's Bust Or Bray Dee sets the standard, though it's far from an insurmountable one, while Henry De Bromhead's Glen Wyllin is likely to prove much better than he could show on his hurdling debut at Punchestown last month.

Back on the theme of Willie Mullins' French recruits, the Closutton handler sends out Allegorie De Vassy in the mares hurdle at 12:20, and this one sets a pretty tall standard for her rivals to aim at.

Third to Belle Promesse in a minor contest at Auteuil when last seen in April, that form looks rock solid, with the winner going on to be successful in listed and Grade 3 contest subsequently.

Allegorie De Vassy could well be yet another above-average recruit to hurdles for her powerful trainer and ought to be making a winning Irish debut here. She's not really a bet for me, though, as the price will likely be tight enough.

Hard to oppose Al Boum Photo at Tramore

Over at Tramore, the highlight is the Grade 3 Savills New Year's Day Chase at 14:20, which looks something of Willie Mullins benefit, to say the least.

Fielding five of the six runners, Mullins looks to have a stranglehold on the race, with only the Gordon Elliott-trained Hardline standing in his way.

Al Boum Photo sets a clear standard amongst the Mullins army, and he took this race en route to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in both 2019 and 2020, as well as last year, before just falling short when third in the big one at Prestbury Park.

It's hard to look past him again in his bid for the four-timer, with his rivals in this contest rated between 12 and 18 lb inferior to the son of Buck's Boum. Even conceding race fitness to all but Acapella Bourgeois, he should get the job done with a minimum of fuss.

Yet more exciting Mullins newcomers

Maintaining the running theme of Willie Mullins French recruits, the master trainer also unleashes a couple in a pair of the supporting races at Tramore.

El Fabiolo should go off favourite for the maiden hurdle at 12:00, with his third in a listed newcomers race at Auteuil in September last year setting a good standard, while another maiden hurdle at 13:10 sees the promising Hors Piste starting out for the Mullins yard.

This one was split a useful pair when second at Pau in January and has a ton of scope for improvement in her first Irish start. That form looks really strong for the level, with both the winner and third now boasting Timeform ratings of 135 and 127 respectively.

If Hors Piste can run anywhere near that level on her Irish bow, the rest of the this field will be playing for minor money only.

Of the opposition, Whacker Clan is a point-to-point winner who made a promising debut under rules when third at Navan earlier this month, while Where It All Began was equally promising on his first hurdles start, finishing second at Clonmel last month.

On a day that looks like it could turn into a Willie Mullins benefit, my money will be going down purely on Elimay, but all the horses highlighted in this column are well worth watching, too, as we could potentially see a number of future stars unleashed.

And that, after all, is where the excitement really lies as we head into 2022.

It's hard to believe that we're less than three months away from Cheltenham now, and everything will really ramp up a gear from here on in.

All that remains is for me to wish you and your families a happy new year, and hopefully we can make it a profitable one, too.