Teahupoo (right) beating Impaire Et Passe in last year's Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle © Photo Healy Racing
Teahupoo could face a mouth-watering clash with Lossiemouth as he bids to join an illustrious group to win the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle for a third time at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
Five horses have won the Hatton’s Grace three times including Limestone Lad and Solerina who won it six times in seven seasons for the Bowe family from 1999 to 2005.
Two of the others that replicated Solerina’s three-in-a-row were also mares - the Gordon Elliott-trained Apple’s Jade scored from 2016-2018 before being supplanted by the dual Champion Hurdle and dual Mares’ Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle.
It was the Elliott-trained Teahupoo who ended Honeysuckle’s run and the Robcour-owned gelding followed up last year, again under Jack Kennedy. He then recorded the Stayers’ Hurdle double in Cheltenham and Punchestown, continuing the proven trend of winners going on to deliver in the Champion or Stayers’ Hurdles at Prestbury Park.
Lossiemouth, who has been victorious at Fairyhouse previously, was a facile winner of the Mares’ Hurdle over this 2m4f trip last season and though missing out on making her seasonal debut in the Morgiana Hurdle on Sunday due to a stone bruise, Mullins quickly suggested that the Bar One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle could be on the agenda.
Beacon Edge, who won the Bar One Racing Drinmore Chase in 2021 may also represent Gordon Elliott and was last seen winning the Grade 2 bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby at the beginning of November. He also holds an entry in a Grade 2 at Newbury on Friday.
Maxxum is also entered from the powerful Elliott yard although the finished last in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan last time. A talented handicapper who is out of his depth at this level.
Sunday’s fixture, which is sponsored entirely by Bar One Racing and will be televised live on RTE2, features two Grade 1 contests — the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and the Bar One Racing Drinmore Chase - and the Grade 2 Royal Bond Hurdle, as well as a strong support card that includes the €59,000 Listed Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle and the Bar One Racing Porterstown Handicap Chase.
The Cullentra trainer dominates entries for the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase with six of the nine that could line up including Firefox, Shecouldbeanything and Croke Park.
Pinkerton won the Galway Plate for trainer Noel Meade before giving Found A Fifty a real battle at Grade 2 level and is an interesting contender, while the red-hot Henry de Bromhead has included recent Cork Grade 3 novice chase winner Gorgeous Tom and Heart Wood, who beat Corbetts Cross by seven lengths in a Listed chase at Wexford in October.
Romeo Coolio, Bleu De Vassy and Wingmen are among a quartet of entries by Gordon Elliott for the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Hurdle, while Willie Mullins is well represented too with Tipperary Grade 3 winner Gaucher among his team of five.
The Martin Brassil-trained French import Best Years Yet (143) tops the ratings in the Listed Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle, which has attracted 21 entries, with Washington a notable cross-channel contender for trainer Harry Derham.
There are also 21 still in the running for the Bar One Racing Porterstown Handicap, topped by Elliott’s Favori De Champdou (144).
The two-day meeting at Fairyhouse kicks off on Saturday with the highlight being the Grade 3 WillowWarm Hurdle which has attracted ten entries including Eagles Reign, Bottler’secret and Wodhooh while Dodger Long and Givemefive are two entries from the UK.
Peter Roe, General Manager of Fairyhouse, said: “We are delighted with the entries for the weekend. While there are only four remaining in the feature Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace, they are the current ante-post favourites for the Champion and Stayers’ hurdles. It is currently 4/6 Teehupoo and 11/8 Lossiemouth with the race sponsors, so it should be another informative race.
“The ground is currently yielding, good to yielding in places, and there is selective watering. We are all set for another top weekend’s racing.”
