O'Brien juveniles start off at Fairyhouse Joseph O'Brien was recently quoted at about the 5-2 mark to train the winner of next year's Triumph Hurdle and two of his charges who could go down that road, Big Ben and Landofhopeandglory, begin over flights in the Racing On New Years Day 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle at Fairyhouse. Talk of another O'Brien bid on the Triumph, after Ivanovich Gorbatov's win when officially in the care of Joseph's father Aidan last season, came after the revelation that several Ballydoyle three-year-olds are to go jumping for owner JP McManus. McManus' retained rider Barry Geraghty will partner Landofhopeandglory, and the High Chaparral gelding is an exciting prospect given the level of ability he showed on the Flat. Indeed the last time he was seen out, Landofhopeandglory ran down the field in the German Derby and, prior to that, finished second to his stable companion Sword Fighter in the Group Two Curragh Cup in June. Big Ben is a half-brother to Attraction and he looked to have a nice bit of ability himself, despite his greenness, when winning a maiden at the Curragh in August. Mark Walsh will get the leg-up on the son of Galileo, and there's another McManus runner in the mix too - Aa Bee See, under Jody McGarvey for trainer Niall Madden. Gigginstown House Stud and Gordon Elliott send French import Icario into battle under David Mullins. This fellow scored over nearly a mile and a half at Corlay in June, and he cost Harold Kirk 75,000 euros at the sales afterwards. Gigginstown and Elliott have a nice sort for the Book Your Christmas Party At Fairyhouse December 17th Maiden Hurdle when Sutton Manor lines up under Ruby Walsh. Formerly a well-regarded point-to-pointer for Colin Bowe, this Gold Well gelding can show himself to be better than his second placing in a Thurles bumper might suggest. Balzac Turgot and Fire In His Eyes give Gigginstown a strong hand in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners European Breeders Fund Novice Hurdle. They form half the four-strong field along with Highway Royal and Mahler Ten.
