We opened the Fairyhouse Sunday card with two winners but our treble was thwarted when Apache Stronghold unseated his rider in the Ryanair Gold Cup. Still, four winners out of six selections over the weekend is not a bad return.
We previewed the Irish Grand National last week and have two selections in Grand Jesture and Los Amigos. The former is entitled to run well after his fine run at the Cheltenham festival while Los Amigos has been trained for this race all season. It’s impossible to be confident in a race such as this but hopefully one of them can sneak into the money.
There is a good supporting card, kicking off at 2.45 with a four-year-old hurdle. Dicosimo is likely to start favourite here on the strength of his eighth place in the Triumph Hurdle. He led for a long way before being passed by the Henderson trio and Ruby Walsh was easy on him once his chance had gone. It is too early to say whether it was a vintage renewal of the Triumph so I’d prefer to take a chance on stable companion Whiteout at 10-1.
She has won her only start since joining Mullins from France where she was the winner of a modest claimer on the level. She had Sam Red back in third on her debut and that rival has won easily since. She has to be worth an each-way bet against the favourite.
Dedigout has won his last two races at Grade 2 level but missed Cheltenham as he did not get his favoured soft ground. He could probably do with a downpour before racing on Monday but he has won on yielding ground and should not be inconvenienced by the current conditions. Thousand Stars has not raced since the summer and could be vulnerable and I am more wary of Cheltenham runner-up Noble Endeavour. He moved well in the Martin Pipe Hurdle and was just beaten on the nod.
Tony McCoy treated his legion of followers to another fine display on Gilgamboa on Sunday and can chalk up another victory on Blair Perrone in the 4.25. He is trained by Mouse Morris and won last time without coming off the bridle. Connections considered a tilt at the Betfair Hurdle earlier in the season and he could be the value bet against some exposed Mullins-trained runners. There was little between Max Dynamite and Sempre Medici in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle and Ruby Walsh has switched from one to the other here.
Whiteout 2.45 @10-1 Paddy Power (each-way)
Dedigout 3.20 @9-4 Ladbrokes
Blair Perrone 4.25 @4-1 Bet365
Grand Jesture 5.00 @20-1 Betdaq (each-way)
Los Amigos 5.00 @ 14-1 Paddy Power (each-way)
