Braxton to make winning start

It may be midweek but there`s nothing mundane about this afternoon`s Fairyhouse fixture, where the potential star novice Colonel Braxton takes his first steps over fences.

Unbeaten over hurdles last season but deprived of a tilt at the SunAlliance Hurdle, Colonel Braxton is already a 10 to 1 shot for the SunAlliance Chase with Cashmans and it will be a major surprise if he doesn`t win today.

'He won`t be 100 per cent fit but he should be ready to do himself justice, and he certainly has enough bottle for the job,' trainer Dessie Hughes reported yesterday.

Courage, allied to a real touch of class, was the hallmark of the John Magnier-owned star over hurdles, and he wound up defeating Be My Royal and Risk Accessor in a Grade One at the Co Meath track last April. Fences have always been his ultimate target, however.

'We`re thinking of him as a SunAlliance horse and we`ll hardly go back in trip with him for the Dennys at Christmas. Instead, he`ll probably run in the Neville Chase on the 29th - all going well,' Hughes added.

Colonel Braxton isn`t the only star novice over fences, as the former SunAlliance Hurdle runner up No Discount goes in the later beginners` chase over three miles.

Now in the care of Ted Walsh, No Discount hasn`t run since May of last year but mixed it successfully with the top novice hurdlers of the 99-00 season and wound up second to Monsignor at Cheltenham and Sackville at Aintree.

Beechcourt has his first start since a scintillating bumper debut in January and is being kept to the level by Michael O`Brien. Well fancied for the bumper at Cheltenham until foot-and-mouth intervened, Beechcourt will be the focus of attention in the last.

The form of Davenport Milenium`s narrow hurdles win will be put to the test in the maiden, as Canary Wharf, third to him 10 days ago, comes back to Fairyhouse with what looks a clear winning chance.