‘A horse with a lot of upside’ - Fairyhouse Lucky 15 I’m really looking forward to the weekend of action. With plenty of class horses on display across the three days and large field sizes, it looks set to be extremely competitive racing, and it is a compliment to Fairyhouse Racecourse that the competition is so high for these races. 3:15 Fairyhouse Saturday Ladies National Handicap Chase — Vaureal This weekend, we have the Easter meeting, a huge fixture in the Irish racing calendar. Having spoken so highly of Ian Donoghue in yesterday’s article, I’m going to start off with Ian’s horse, Vaureal, in the 3.15, the Ladies’ National Handicap Chase. She has 10 stone 11 to carry, with Caragh Monaghan taking off a valuable seven pounds. This horse ran on 30th November at Fairyhouse when winning a Ladies’ Handicap Chase, so the valuable connection between Caragh Monaghan and the horse could have a big impact in this race. For a trainer like Ian Donoghue, Fairyhouse is a local track to him, and I’m sure this will have been the target for quite some time. The horse still looks relatively unexposed, only a seven-year-old, and I’m sure he arrives with a big chance. Vaureal can be expected to be right in the thick of the action over the last couple of fences and should give his supporters a good run for their money. 16:25 Fairyhouse Saturday — Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Finale — Minella Emperor Minella Emperor is still a horse I have a lot of time for. It was unfortunate for jockey Michael O’Neill, who was having his first ride at Cheltenham in the Pertemps, as the horse was constantly pushed wide and didn’t really have a chance to settle, and on the bad ground he realistically had no chance. He’s a high-class horse and has some solid handicap form coming into this race, along with some good novice form as well behind the likes of Espresso Milan and Champagne Chic. I still think he is a horse with plenty of ability, and hopefully it will be an easier passage for Michael to help him around Fairyhouse than it was at Cheltenham. Trained by Emmett Mullins, he is still a seven-year-old with a lot of upside, and I think he could have a big part to play in this race. 14:40 Fairyhouse Sunday — Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) — Old School Outlaw I am more than happy to side with Old School Outlaw here, as I feel that she actually had a great run in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. She was midfield throughout and started to make steady headway, and she probably just let the winner get first run on her. The market significance before the race is something that I’m also interested in. She was around 3/1 for the couple of weeks prior to the race and SP’d at 15/2, so maybe not all was well with her at the time. Coming back to Fairyhouse, where she has already won the Solerina Mares’ Novice Hurdle, I feel that this experience over the track and trip will help her. She looks like one that Gordon Elliott can rely on to keep his head in front in the Irish trainers’ championship, as she is still an improving horse, and I’ll be interested to see what she can do. 17:30 Fairyhouse Sunday — Hunters Chase — Wrappedupinmay I was disgusted to see Wrappedupinmay not running in the Cheltenham Festival, as I thought he was a very good each-way play in the race. He was a decent novice hurdler for Paul Nicholls, but it looks like the switch to Sam Curling has definitely rejuvenated this horse. I was lucky enough to see him perform spectacularly at Dromahane Racecourse just after Christmas, when he beat Ryehill and Hunter’s Yarn. This horse has a great chance in Sunday’s Hunters Chase, and I must say I’m really looking forward to seeing him out. He is an exceptional jumper and has all the credentials to land this competitive race.
