GET READY TO RUMBLE AT FAIRYHOUSE

If quality jump racing is what you want on Sunday look no further than Fairyhouse and your prayers will be answered. This is jump racing of the highest quality with no less than three Grade 1 contests up for decision ? get there early, writes Brian Fleming.

Limestone Lad has established himself as a real star within the jumping ranks and in the Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle James Bowe's stable star bids to notch up his 33rd career success- a phenomenal achievement in this country. Not only that but he sets out in search of his third Hatton's Grace and he will start at short odds to do so.

He has hardly put a foot wrong all season but this is his toughest assignment to date this term with the likes of Ned Kelly, who is rated just a pound inferior on 159, and Noel Meade's Scottish Memories, who I feel could be the solution to scoop the ?48,750 winners purse.

The bare facts don't look good, I suppose, with Scottish Memories rated some twenty pounds below LimestoneLad, a tall order to overcome. But, he annihilated his seven opponents in a valuable contest at Down Royal in early November and the manner of his victory had his trainer dreaming of bigger and better things in the winners enclosure afterwards.

His dream of major honours with this 6yo may well be realised someday and he can start by accounting for his big two rivals on Sunday afternoon.

Despite heavy rain throughout the country during the week the ground at Fairyhouse is expected to be no worse than yielding to soft which will help Noel Meade's charge. At 4/1 this improving sort does represent value.

Nine face the starter for the Pierse Group Drinmore Novice Chase with Naas scorer Le Coudray and Barrow Drive expected to battle it out for the major honours. Barry Geraghty elects to reunite the partnership with Le Coudray, who scored with the minimum of fuss by nine lengths from Ricardo last weekend but Barrow Drive, who is bidding for his sixth successive victory over the larger obstacles gets the vote to continue his rich vein of form.

Killarney-born Jim Culloty who achieved the notable Cheltenham Gold Cup/Aintree Grand National brace last season, travels over from Britain to team up with the Tony Mullins-trained six-year-old.

The Fairyhouse Sunday Grade 1 treble is completed by the Boylesports Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and here Mutakarrim, a winner at Cheltenham last month, is expected to start at the head of affairs in the ring.

Rated 126 over timber he is entitled to, but Friend's Amigo, who has done nothing wrong to date winning a hot Naas bumper last term and opening his account over hurdles at Punchestown is selected to land this contest which was won twelve months ago by Like A Butterfly.

Speaking from the course on Friday afternoon, manger Dick Sheil reported on the expected going at the County Meath track. 'We've had no rain here since 7.00pm on Wednesday but had a little frost on Friday morning and the going is on the yielding sideof soft at the moment. Thankfully, the weather forecast is kind with just a few showers forecast on Friday night. The weather forecast given to me says we have a 10% chance of rain on both Saturday and Sunday which is a relief.'

Fairyhouse Sunday Selections

12.40 Royal Jake

1.10 Friend's Amigo

1.40 Barrow Drive

2.10 Scottish Memories (Nap)

2.40 Shared Account

3.10 Leinster

3.40 GVA Ireland