2:35 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle (Grade 1)
It will be a fitting end to the year if Henry De Bromhead can win the race named after his superstar mare with Magical Zoe, but there is a good chance that Willie Mullins could ruin the fairytale with ASHROE DIAMOND. She avoided Cheltenham and that could give her a fitness edge over her rivals and on reflection, the level of form she showed when 3rd to Marine Nationale and Facile Vega before the turn of the year is probably the strongest form on offer. She has experience of the track and her win over Jetara in a Grade 3 here in January has worked out well. Although she can be keen, she has a good engine and ought to see out the extra trip.
3:10 – Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)
A difficult race to work out, but like so many races this weekend it could pay to focus on the horses who didn’t go to Cheltenham and that makes THE GUNNER YEATS interesting. After just 2 starts over timber, he is completely unexposed, but he won by 25-lengths at Clonmel last time and the horse he beat, Feu de Bresil, came out and won on his next start last week. He cost £310,000 at the Cheltenham Sale in December 2021 and although he has taken time to come to hand for his new connections, he won last time in the manner of a graded horse. He should be able to travel prominently and has already proved he can handle the ground. There are no better trainers of Novice hurdlers than Willie Mullins and his son of Yeats could take this on his way to the top.
