Royal Caviar to prevail for Mullins at Fairyhouse

Willie Mullins has already passed the €1 million prizemoney mark for the season in Ireland and the returning bumper performer Royal Caviar can maintain that momentum at Fairyhouse on an afternoon when the champion trainer's focus will be principally cross-channel.

Djakadam is a warm favourite to finally give Mullins a Hennessy Gold Cup victory at Newbury, a dozen years after Be My Royal was first past the post in the prestigious handicap only to be disqualified due to a positive test attributed to contaminated feed.

Bright Highway was the last Irish-trained Hennessy winner in 1980. It’s only five years since Go Native landed Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle and Mullins’s Arctic Fire will attempt to follow that up against a handful of opponents in the lucrative Grade 1.

There is a rare ‘am’ start to racing at Fairyhouse and the Beginners Chase has enough promising newcomers to fences to make an early start worthwhile. Noble Emperor in particular looks an intriguing recruit. But on this occasion The Job Is Right’s experience might prove crucial.