UK Horse Racing Tips: Fairyhouse

HARMONYA MAKER easily won a New Year's Eve bumper at Punchestown last term and can begin 2023 with a second hurdles victory. After an easy maiden here in November, Gordon Elliott's charge, who relishes testing conditions, was beaten at odds-on last time but was far from disgraced behind two useful types. Dual bumper winner Pink In The Park was runner-up to a smart gelding on hurdling debut at Gowran. She handled heavy ground reasonably well that day and, of those behind, the distant fourth has won a maiden and run well in a Leopardstown handicap. Potapova was an unfancied stable second-string when winning easily on Rules debut at Clonmel after which she was handed a mark of 120 which is probably stiff enough given what was behind her. She'll need to improve again to take this but can't be discounted. Granny Lowrie, second when taking on geldings over 3m at Cork, is not out of this either.
Prediction : 1st Harmonya Maker 2nd Pink In The Park 3rd Granny Lowrie

KNOCKANARD LADY, fitted with a hood for the first time, can put her jumping experience to good use. A Punchestown bumper winner on debut last term, she's been beaten less than a length in both starts over hurdles and stays this trip well. Her Tramore conqueror ran well in a Leopardstown handicap this week. Indiana Dream starts off in Ireland after winning an AQPS race over 1m7f at Fontainebleau in February. His former trainer Emmanuel Clayeux has provided Willie Mullins with some very smart horses and the market will reveal how fancied he is to make a winning debut over hurdles. An Mhi had the unenviable task of taking on Facile Vega last time and was a respectable second. He may be suited by this longer trip and has a good chance of being in the money. Mister Bo won a bumper here in the spring for the selection's trainer, Pat Doyle, and is another to consider.
Prediction : 1st Knockanard Lady 2nd Indiana Dream 3rd An Mhi

WARM IN GOREY has a handy racing weight and can go one better than when second on handicap debut at Clonmel. Philip Rothwell's charge split two mares who fought out the finish to a Limerick handicap during the week so the form looks solid. His 3lb hike is offset by the claim of Irish Grand National-winning jockey Paddy O'Hanlon. Musta Lovea Lovea wasn't at his best last time but previously ran creditably in a couple of hot maidens and he's interesting in his first handicap for an in-form yard. Market moves should be noted for Dontlettheoldmanin who has also shown promise in maidens and is a brother to a three-time hurdle winner for Paul Nicholls. Both Trishknowsbest and Coolnacritta are course winners but have a preference for drier ground.
Prediction : 1st Warm In Gorey 2nd Musta Lovea Lovea 3rd Dontlettheoldmanin

The top-weight is rated 97 so a modest enough contest and maybe ELLE DORADO ROCK can step forward from some mildly promising efforts. Tony Martin's five-year-old has been brought along steadily on the Flat and over hurdles and his last couple of runs have been in more competitive handicaps, including one won by the massively progressive Maxxum. He's likely to be suited by this longer trip and it will be a surprise if there isn't a day or two in him before long. It's hard to know if the omission of the tongue-tie worn recently is a positive or not but hopefully it won't harm his chance. The veteran Cher Why Not has been running well in similar contests at Punchestown after winning over 3m at Clonmel in September and is very likely to reward each-way support. Mahler Approach went close on testing ground at Galway in October. He's lightly-raced and probably capable of better than he showed when a beaten favourite at Limerick last time.
Prediction : 1st Elle Dorado Rock 2nd Cher Why Not 3rd Mahler Appeal

DOLCITA won twice over C&D last term and got a canny waiting ride from Paul Townend when making a winning reappearance at Clonmel. She led close home to beat Ballyshannon Rose who makes a quick reappearance after running well before not staying 3m in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown. Ballyshannon Rose is 9lb better off for half a length with the selection but that recent hard race may count against her. Scarlet And Dove, also 9lb better off with Dolcita, was a well-beaten third at Clonmel but shaped like she needed the run. A close third in the Mares' Chase at Cheltenham in March, she readily beat the winner, Elimay, at Punchestown where a below-par Dolcita was tailed off. Agusta Gold won this after a long absence in 2021 but hasn't been able to recapture that level of form since. Fairyhill Run, whose stable has been quiet of late, has twice made the frame in the Porterstown Handicap over a mile further at this venue and some of these may have too much pace for her.
Prediction : 1st Dolcita 2nd Scarlet And Dove 3rd Ballyshannon Rose

JAMES DU BERLAIS was a classy hurdler for Robert Collet for whom he won four valuable races at Auteuil. Pitched into the 2021 Champion Hurdle on stable debut, he was unable to get competitive but was much better when chasing home stablemate Klassical Dream in a Grade One over three miles at Punchestown the following month. He has obviously had issues since and now makes his chasing debut after a very long absence. Ballykeel, rated 123 having run well to a point in his first three three chases, was taken out of a Leopardstown handicap on Thursday and should be capable of getting into the money here. Mahler Mission (also engaged to run at Punchestown on Saturday) was a Grade Two winner as a novice hurdler and a fair seventh in the Albert Bartlett. Second in a point-to-point, he wasn't fluent when beaten a long way in a small-field contest at Cheltenham on chase debut. Useful hurdler Capilano Bridge was also beaten a long way on chase debut but will, at least, be fitter for the outing.
Prediction : 1st James Du Berlais 2nd Ballykeel 3rd Mahler Mission

STELLAR STORY cost plenty after winning a point-to-point for Donnchadh Doyle and was a creditable fifth to a stablemate in a course and distance contest in early December. The Shantou gelding was only beaten around five lengths and the winner has since finished second over hurdles at Leopardstown. The more testing ground will see him in a better light and he can reverse placings with the more exposed runner-up Attaboyarchie. Chrisco is from a useful French family and made 75,000 Euros at the Derby Sale. He has to be respected as the choice of Patrick Mullins ahead of Dinoland who is a half-brother to seven winners including some smart types. Banjaxed was fancied when runner-up over course and distance in February and merits respect along with Any Road who should be sharper for his reappearance fourth in a strong race at Punchestown.
Prediction : 1st Stellar Story 2nd Chrisco 3rd Any Road