Fairyhouse Racecourse© Photo Healy Racing
The Book Your Easter Festival Tickets Today Beginners Chase makes for an intriguing start to an eight-race card at Fairyhouse this afternoon.
Punters will have taken reassurance about the health of Willie Mullins’ string following his Thyestes Day treble at Gowran Park on Thursday and the Closutton maestro kicks off this fixture with dual representation.
Ruby Walsh is always going to catch the eye in the Hurricane Fly silks of George Creighton. In this two-mile-five-furlong contest the familiar colours are carried by Allblak Des Places who tackles fences for the first time in public.
A Grade One-placed juvenile hurdler, Allblak Des Places comes here with unimpressive recent form figures, but would be interesting if he could recapture his best form.
Paul Townend rides the other Mullins representative, Real Steel and the pair face off against former stable companion Carter McKay.
This Qatar Racing-owned grey has his second outing for Gordon Elliott and will need to improve plenty from his debut over fences at Naas.
Elliott also has Glenloe in the mix, while Burgas and Kagney are sent into battle by Noel Meade. Westport Lady has obvious claims for the Mullins-Walsh combination in the first division of the Free Racecourse WiFi At Fairyhouse Maiden Hurdle.
The consistent mare was no match for Swordsman on her hurdling bow, but ran well enough in finishing second to suggest a minor race such as this is within her compass.
Walsh’s wife Gillian is part of the Act D Wagg Syndicate that own the Mullins-trained Eight And Bob a definite contender for the concluding Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle.
Eight And Bob has run seven times for the champion trainer and although he managed a victory at Wexford last October, he has been a beaten favourite on five occasions.
However, he steps up to three miles for the first time this weekend and that could be the making of Liam Gilligan’s mount.
