UK Horse Racing Tips: Fairyhouse

MACDERMOTT gets a tentative vote in a beginners chase for horses rated 116 or less over hurdles. The Willie Mullins-trained gelding won a Tramore maiden hurdle on soft ground last spring but has been a bit underwhelming in two chase outings this term. Hopefully he'll benefit from that experience and Paul Townend is aboard for the first time. Gavin Cromwell is well represented and perhaps Double Schultz will prove the pick of his trio. He won a maiden hurdle at Wexford last summer and takes a big drop in class after trailing home behind Marine Nationale last time at Leopardstown. Bleu D'enfer is certainly one for the shortlist having filled the runner-up spot in three of his last four starts including a rated novice chase at Punchestown, although he's also entered at Down Royal on Tuesday. Farmers Lodge and Soldaro are others to consider.
Prediction : 1st Macdermott 2nd Bleu Denfer 3rd Dutch Schultz

DANCING JEREMY easily won a 2m4f Cork beginners chase for Tom Cooper two years ago but has been mainly campaigned over hurdles since. The grey gelding has also won twice over flights including at Punchestown in October and switches to fences on a competitive mark. Verdant Place was well backed on his handicap chase debut over 2m at Naas and will be better suited by this trip, while Soloman Lane enters calculations on his second to Galon De Vauzelle at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. Evies Vladimir had Shes Some Doll about ten lengths behind when runner-up at Down Royal last month, while Bushmans Pass returned to form with a convincing win at Limerick but has been raised 10lb.
Prediction : 1st Dancing Jeremy 2nd Verdant Place 3rd Soloman Lane

Kilbeggan bumper winner SPREAD BOSS TED was off the course for over a year before switching to hurdles and showed improved form on his second outing this term when beating Teuchters Glory at Navan. The selection kept on well up the closing hill and should be effective over this extra half-mile. Binge Worthy looks the obvious threat. He was bought for 160,000 pounds after winning a point-to-point for Denis Murphy last spring and opened his account under Rules on his hurdle debut in a 2m Limerick maiden last month. He's bred to appreciate this extra distance. Glen Kiln has shown some promise over a variety of trips including over 3m at Cork last time, while Just Three has plenty of jumping experience and should be competitive in handicaps.
Prediction : 1st Spread Boss Ted 2nd Binge Worthy 3rd Glen Kiln

MIRAZUR WEST is held in high regard and can open his account over hurdles. The brother to stablemate Ferny Hollow impressed when making all in a Naas bumper last spring and was absent until running too freely when again odds-on in a 23-runner maiden hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. Not surprisingly he ran out of steam on the run-in when beaten by King Of Kingsfield but there was no disgrace in that and hopefully he'll settle better with that experience under his belt. Point-to-point winner D B Cooper also filled the runner-up spot in a big field maiden on the same Leopardstown card and is an obvious threat in receipt of 8lb. The pair look a cut above the remainder with Jasmin De Cotte, Al Gasparo and Hollies Choice holding place prospects.
Prediction : 1st Mirazur West 2nd D B Cooper 3rd Jasmin De Cotte

HURRICANE BAILEY attracted some support when making a promising start at the Limerick Christmas meeting and gets the vote. The daughter of Youmzain was only headed in the closing stages when third to Judicieuse Allen and will hopefully progress from that experience. The latter's stablemate Jolie Coeur Allen is another to consider. She showed plenty of promise in bumpers but has been expensive to follow in two hurdle starts including when running keenly in the Limerick maiden won by Joyau De Thaix. Mullins has another contender in the shape of point-to-point winner Spindleberry who was placed on her only bumper outing, while True Testimony enters calculations on her second in a similar event here recently. Milanaway has been placed on both maiden hurdle starts and stays well.
Prediction : 1st Hurricane Bailey 2nd Jolie Coeur Allen 3rd Spindleberry

O'MOORE PARK easily won a four-year-old point-to-point for Pat Doyle and showed promise in bumpers including when placed at the Punchestown Festival. The selection was absent for over 19 months before switching to hurdles here in December when again placed behind Chigorin over 2m7f. The Walk In the Park gelding tends to race quite keenly so hopefully that run will have knocked some of the fizz out of him and the shorter trip should suit. Lucky Lyreen was a useful sort in bumpers winning at Down Royal last Christmas and was placed behind Spread Boss Ted, who runs earlier on this card, in a Navan maiden hurdle last month. Dangers abound in what looks a competitive maiden with Maxi Mac Gold, Raglan Road and The Electrical Kid all with form to recommend over hurdles while Dundalk winner Oakley makes his hurdling debut.
Prediction : 1st OMoore Park 2nd Lucky Lyreen 3rd Maxi Mac Gold

JUNOT has put together a series of solid handicap runs and a reproduction of his latest effort at Naas may be good enough. The Mick Winters-trained gelding kept on nicely into fourth beaten only about three lengths behind American Money and the fifth, Butty O Brien, gave the form a boost at Navan last Saturday. The Big Cloud has been heavily backed when placed on her latest two starts and wasn't helped by a stumble early on when third at Punchestown on New Year's Eve. Gold Haven is another strong contender having also been placed on her latest two outings including when runner-up in a 20-runner Cork handicap over this trip, while Rusheen showed much improved form when just denied by Storm Mahler on testing ground at Limerick.
Prediction : 1st Junot 2nd The Big Cloud 3rd Gold Haven