Teahupoo and Jack Kennedy pictured after winning last year's Hatton's Grace Hurdle© Photo Healy Racing
Cheltenham Festival winners Impaire Et Passe and Sire Du Berlais, State Man and last year’s winner Teahupoo head the 15 entries for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on the second day of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival on Sunday, December 3.
Impaire Et Passe was unbeaten in four starts as a novice last term including Grade 1 races at both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, and is among six Willie Mullins-trained entries in the race.
The champion trainer has also entered his Champion Hurdle runner-up State Man, Grade 1-winning novice Ashroe Diamond and the exciting Mister Policeman, while Gordon Elliott’s seven entries include Sire Du Berlais, Teahupoo, Irish Point and Zanahiyr.
The first of three Grade 1 races on the day is the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Elliott has made 13 entries including Brighterdaysahead Jit Langy is one of six entries for Mullins while recent Cheltenham winner Encanto Bruno is among three horses Gavin Cromwell has in the race.
A total of 18 entries have been made for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase and Elliott, who is biding for an eighth win in the 2m4f event, again dominates numerically with a team of nine including course winner Imagine and Favori De Champdou.
Irish Grand National winner I Am Maximus, on his last day as a novice, and multiple Grade 1-winning hurdler Sharjah are two in the race for Mullins while Noel Meade has recent winners Affordable Fury and Flanking Maneuver
Also entered are the Emmet Mullins-trained Corbetts Cross, Cromwell’s recent Cork winner Letsbeclearaboutit and Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios and Heart Wood.
Barney O’Hare of Bar One Racing said: “The Bar One Hatton’s Grace meeting is firmly established as the top jumps fixture in the first half of the season. We are delighted to see the support trainers have given our three Grade 1 races and it certainly whets the appetite for the months ahead. With the Bar One Racing-sponsored Navan Racing Festival coming two weeks before Fairyhouse, these weekends certainly confirm our support of Irish racing.”
Peter Roe, General Manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, said: “I am delighted with the strength and depth of entries for our three Grade 1 races on Bar One Hatton’s Grace Day. Last year the Bar One Racing Royal Bond was the top-rated novice hurdle in Ireland and the day produced 13 subsequent Grade 1 winners. It is great to see such a wide spectrum of jumping stars entered and it certainly is a day not to be missed.”
