UK Horse Racing Tips: Fairyhouse

KING IN LOVE has progressed well this year, winning at Naas on his penultimate start, and should appreciate the drop back to 2m having been caught close home over 2m3f last time. Solsbury Hill won an 18-runner Leopardstown maiden over this trip and the form of his subsequent third to Mercury Mission and Imadpour at Wexford has worked out very well since. Chosen Diamond relished testing conditions when scoring over 2m4f here earlier this year and the form of his second to Dunboyne at Navan last month has been well advertised. Stuntman Steve and Last Kingdom are others to consider.
Prediction : 1st King In Love 2nd Solsbury Hill 3rd Chosen Diamond

Wendrock has run at all three big Festival meetings this year, including when fifth to Murcia at Aintree last time, and may be vulnerable to a fresher rival in ITS BILBO. The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding won a Punchestown maiden on soft ground and was far from disgraced behind Hello Neighbour in a Leopardstown Grade 2 over Christmas. He was narrowly denied on his only outing since at Limerick last month, while Blue Lemons also handled soft ground when winning a Gowran maiden but needs to bounce back after disappointing in the Triumph Hurdle.
Prediction : 1st Its Bilbo 2nd Blue Lemons 3rd Wendrock

COME WALK WITH ME has come up against some smart sorts in maidens and gets the vote on his handicap debut. The locally-trained gelding filled the runner-up spot behind Sounds Victorius over 2m4f here on New Year's Day and also finished second on both outings since, including behind Redemption Day at Naas. The lightly-raced Farmers Lodge is on a hat-trick and handles cut in the ground well, while Oscars Brother is also reappearing after a break and was only narrowly denied last time in a valuable 3m1f Navan handicap. Lucky Lyreen, Mordor and UK raider Idefix De Ciergues are others to note.
Prediction : 1st Come Walk With Me 2nd Oscars Brother 3rd Farmers Lodge

There is little to choose between Colonel Mustard, Beacon Edge, Staffordshire Knot and SANDOR CLEGANE on running behind Jimmy Du Seuil in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham and slight preference is for the Paul Nolan-trained gelding, who is quite well treated by the conditions of this race and won't be inconvenienced by soft ground. Kopeck De Mee was well touted prior to disappointing on his debut for current connections at the Cheltenham Festival, but showed the talk wasn't misplaced when just failing to land a valuable 2m4f handicap at Aintree. Lantry Lady has been lightly raced since finishing fourth to Lossiemouth at Cheltenham last year, while Kala Conti is another talented mare to consider.
Prediction : 1st Sandor Clegane 2nd Kopeck De Mee 3rd Colonel Mustard

HEART WOOD is well treated at the weights and may prove difficult to beat. The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding got his season off to a winning start on soft ground at Wexford and has shaped well on all three outings since in Grade 1 company, including when second to the impressive Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. Riding arrangements suggest Blood Destiny, who handles soft ground well and is lightly raced this season, is preferred of Willie Mullins' trio, while stablemate Saint Sam has proved a great servant to connections in this type of event.
Prediction : 1st Heart Wood 2nd Blood Destiny 3rd Saint Sam

Haiti Couleurs is an obvious contender coming here off the back of winning the National Hunt Chase over a similar trip at the Cheltenham Festival. However, NOW IS THE HOUR was still in contention when falling two out and enjoys a 4lb swing in the weights, plus he relishes testing conditions. The recent wet spell has also come in time for stablemate Bioluminescence, who won a Grade 2 on her chasing debut at Limerick and stays well, while stamina will not be a concern for Any Second Now, who was runner-up here last year and is now 1lb lower. Daily Present beat Johnnywho by a neck in the Kim Muir, while Dunboyne and Bushmans Pass also landed valuable staying handicap chases last time.
Prediction : 1st Now Is The Hour 2nd Bioluminescence 3rd Any Second Now

BETTER TIMES AHEAD was runner-up to subsequent Scottish National winner Macdermott in this race last year and was just denied over a similar trip the following month at the Punchestown Festival. The Robert Tyner-trained gelding is well suited by testing ground and should be ready to peak after two outings this year. Folly Master beat Rolly Bowley Boy over almost 2m4f at Punchestown on New Year's Eve and shouldn't have stamina concerns having also won a 2m7f handicap hurdle. Union Station was only sent chasing this year and appreciated the step up in trip when runner-up to Brandt over 3m4f at Leopardstown last month.
Prediction : 1st Better Times Ahead 2nd Folly Master 3rd Union Station

SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY won two bumpers last term, including a Limerick Listed race in impressive fashion, and ran a cracker on his belated seasonal debut at the Cheltenham Festival. The Tom Cooper-trained gelding had Sortudo four lengths behind when finishing third to Bambino Fever and could progress further with that run under his belt. Kovanis was bought for 330,000 pounds after easily winning a point-to-point back in the autumn and justified favouritism in a bumper at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting, while C&D winner I'll Sort That handled testing conditions well when following up at Naas last time.
Prediction : 1st Shuttle Diplomacy 2nd Sortudo 3rd Kovanis