Airlie heads eight in Royal Bond The unbeaten Airlie Beach leads the way as a total of eight horses stood their ground for Sunday's Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse. Trained by Willie Mullins, Airlie Beach has won each of her six starts, with her most recent victory coming in Grade Three company at Down Royal at the beginning of November. The six-year-old is one of three possibles for Mullins in the Grade One along with recent Naas victor Saturnas and Grade Three winner Penhill. Gordon Elliott has Grade Three winner Labaik in the mix, while stablemate Bilko is another possible having won a Cork maiden hurdle at the start of November. Henry de Bromhead could field Peace News, who was a winner on his only hurdles start to date at Cork, with Noel Meade's Le Martalin and the Jessica Harrington-trained Forge Meadow rounding out the list of contenders.
