Fairyhouse preview: all eyes on unbeaten Impaire Et Passe

The unbeaten Impaire Et Passe will bid to showcase his Champion Hurdle credentials in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Arguably the star of Willie Mullins’ band of novices over hurdles last term, the exciting five-year-old confirmed the promise of his smooth Moscow Flyer success when striking with authority at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals in the spring.

He is now a warm order to make a smooth transition to open company and provide his trainer with another contender to take on Constitution Hill back at Prestbury Park in March.

However, there may be a few nerves at Closutton ahead of their hot hurdling prospect’s reappearance, having seen Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs beaten on his return last weekend.

"The obvious starting point"

“Impaire Et Passe obviously won over two and a half in Cheltenham and the Hatton’s Grace was the obvious starting point,” said Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father.

“Stepping out of novice company is always difficult, but what he did to Gaelic Warrior and Champ Kiely in Cheltenham was a huge performance.

“We’ll be disappointed if he got beaten, but Galopin Des Champs got beaten last weekend.”

Impaire Et Passe is joined in the line-up by stablemate Ashroe Diamond, who has won her last two, both here at Fairyhouse, and secured Grade One honours over track and trip in her final outing of last term.

“Ashroe Diamond will run very well, with a view to going for the Mares’ Hurdle later in the year,” continued Mullins, who will enjoy steering duties aboard the likeable six-year-old.

“My mother bred her, she’s won in Aintree for the owners and won a Grade One in Fairyhouse.

“I thought her two runs behind Facile Vega and Marine Nationale last year were the two best runs by a mare last year. She’s a long way out on ratings (on Sunday), but I think when she drops back to mares only company, she’ll be giving everything plenty to think about.”

Teahupoo out for repeat victory

Teahupoo lowered the colours of Honeysuckle when staying on strongly to edge out Klassical Dream and Henry de Bromhead’s champion mare 12 months ago and Gordon Elliott’s Stayers’ Hurdle third will be attempting to repeat the dose in the hands of Jack Kennedy.

Last year’s victory was the fourth time Elliott has triumphed in the Grade One after Apple’s Jade dominated the contest between 2016 and 2018 and the Cullentra House team are also represented by the consistent Zanahiyr.

“I’ve got Teahupoo and Zanahiyr in the Hatton’s Grace and both horses have got good chances,” Elliott told Racing TV.

“Teahupoo on his form last year would probably be the pick of them, but whereas Zanahiyr wouldn’t mind a bit of better ground, Teahupoo would want as much rain as he can get.”

The field of five is complete by Paul Gilligan’s Buddy One, who steps out of handicap company in search of a hat-trick, having impressed at Cheltenham during the November meeting.

“Isn’t it great to have a horse to take on the big boys? That’s what we all want, one of these horses, and we have one now and it’s great,” said Gilligan.

“He’s won at Fairyhouse. We won’t get carried away, as we know exactly what’s facing us if he steps up to take on these guys.

“Impaire Et Passe is going to be hard to beat, Teahupoo is going to be hard to beat, but he could beat them – who’s to say he won’t?”

Cromwell bids for new ground in Drinmore

Exciting prospect Letsbeclearaboutit could hand Gavin Cromwell a first Grade One win over fences in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.

The County Meath handler has Champion Hurdle and Stayers’ Hurdle triumphs on his ever-growing CV, but a top-level victory over the larger obstacles has eluded him so far.

However, he may have found the ideal candidate to land a telling chasing blow in the form of his scopey eight-year-old, who is unbeaten in two starts at the beginning of his fledgling career over the bigger obstacles, barely putting a foot wrong so far.

A taking fencing bow at Gowran was followed up by a facile 10-length victory in a Cork Grade Three and the handler holds the gelding in the highest regard, having always operated at a demanding level.

“He was a good bumper horse and a good hurdler and since he’s gone chasing, he’s taken his form to a new level, so hopefully we can maintain the upwards curve,” said Cromwell.

“He looks like a chaser and he’s scopey and he enjoys jumping fences. When they enjoy it, that can bring about some huge improvement.

“He’s right up there (with the best) and we will no more on Sunday, but he’s clearly been a good horse since the get-go and hopefully will run a big race on Sunday.”

Cromwell will also saddle Perceval Legallois, who was producing a fine display of jumping before falling three out in the Cork contest won by stablemate Letsbeclearaboutit and is now backed to outrun his odds in the colours of JP McManus.

“He was running a great race and for a horse that fell in a race, he jumps well,” continued Cromwell.

“They had just increased the pace in the race and it was just a novicey fall, but touch wood, he came home fine and was running a lovely race, so we’ll see how he goes on Sunday.”

Gordon Elliott has farmed this race in recent times, winning it a record seven times and using it as a stopping point for many of Cullentra House’s greatest alumni.

The likes of Don Cossack, Delta Work and Envoi Allen all have their names on the roll of honour and hoping to join them is Found A Fifty, who appeared to relish the switch to fences when an eight-length winner at Down Royal.

“Found A Fifty is a good horse,” Elliott told Racing TV. “I probably made a mistake last year by going to the well a couple of times too much with him – I put myself under pressure and made the wrong decisions.

“He was very good the last day over fences and we’re very happy with him, chasing is his game and he’s a lot more settled this year.

“Last year, he got very revved up and I should never have gone to Aintree with him, that was my fault.”

The final two runners belong to Willie Mullins, who saddles the 10-year-old veteran Grade One-winning hurdler Sharjah and Irish Grand National hero I Am Maximus.

Stable jockey Paul Townend will link up with the former, who has won both outings over fences to date and was a 12-length scorer in a Tipperary Grade Three in October.

He told Ladbrokes: “He’s two from two over fences so far and has shown a lovely attitude for it.

“My Irish Grand National winner, I Am Maximus, also runs here and he just qualifies for a novice as well, having not won a chase until the National last Easter. He probably wants a step up in trip.

“On what they have all achieved over hurdles though, Sharjah sets the standard and wouldn’t it be brilliant if he could win a Grade One over fences on top of all the Grade Ones he won over hurdles.”

O'Sullivan out for Royal Bond double

Michael O’Sullivan will have a great chance of back-to-back victories in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle when he partners Fascile Mode for Tom Mullins at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

The young starlet of the weighing room picked up his first Grade One when coolly steering Marine Nationale to win this event 12 months ago, before establishing himself as a leading rider when following up on Barry Connell’s stable star at the Cheltenham Festival.

O’Sullivan successfully linked up with Fascile Mode on the five-year-old’s hurdling bow at Punchestown and the exciting prospect’s experienced handler is delighted to have retained his services as he now steps up in grade.

“All the big yards have their big jockeys and one thing and another, but Michael is a very talented man and a talented jockey,” said Mullins.

“When he has the horse, he will win with it. He was very good on Marine Nationale last year and he’s a really good jockey – we’re very happy to have him.”

That 12-length Punchestown success was a welcome return to form for Fascile Mode, who impressed on his rules debut at Leopardstown last Christmas before failing to land a telling blow in some stiff assignments during the rest of his bumper season.

“We’re happy here and everything has gone very well since he won at Punchestown,” said Mullins.

“He has a season under his belt now and is stronger and has definitely improved as much as I hoped he would. He did it nicely at Punchestown and won well in the end.

“It was great to get back on track you know, he went to Cheltenham (for the Champion Bumper) and he got a kick at the start from another horse and it kind of stopped our season then and there.

“We got him back at Punchestown and we were thrilled and we have been thrilled ever since. We just hope we get a nice clean run on Sunday and see what happens.”

Encanto Bruno made a winning start to life in the care of Gavin Cromwell at Cheltenham in October and will seek to continue his progress, dropping back to the minimum two miles.

“We’re going back to two miles from two-and-a-half-miles at Cheltenham the last day, but he travelled very well at Cheltenham, so hopefully that won’t be a problem to him,” said Cromwell.

“The soft ground is probably as soft as he would want it, but he will hopefully cope with it fine and he seems in good nick.

“He’s like a lot of good horses and he doesn’t really show you much at home, he’s a really likeable, simple and straightforward horse. He clearly produces it on the track and they are the ones that you want.”

Disputing matters at the top of the market is Henry de Bromhead’s An Tobar, who was a taking course-and-distance scorer on debut, while Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins have traded blows in this race in recent history and between them are responsible for five of the eight declared runners.

Cullentra House stable jockey Jack Kennedy links up with Clonmel winner Farren Glory, with Elliott also saddling Gigginstown pair King Of Kingsfield and What’s Up Darling.

Hurricane Fly features among Mullins’ nine Royal Bond heroes and this time the Closutton master relies on the Rich Ricci-owned duo Bialystok and Horantzau D’airy.