Bowe team Sweet on Kiln

It's already a Grade One record to make even Aidan O'Brien feel envious but the Michael Bowe team are confident that Sweet Kiln can add further to one of the most remarkable big-race records in the sport in Ireland at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

The Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle has proved to be an amazingly happy hunting ground for the family-run breeding and training operation with six wins in seven years in the two-and-a-half-mile winter festival highlight.

The tally includes a three-in-a-row for the now retired mare Solerina (2003-05) while the famously tough Limestone Lad was also a triple winner with victories in 2002 and 2001 following up a famous defeat of Istabraq in 1999.

However, even that fantastic record might not be finished as the latest star mare off the Bowe conveyer belt is carrying considerable stable confidence going into Sunday's big race after a career high in the Lismullen Hurdle earlier this month.

That race was a traditional stepping stone to the Hatton's Grace for both Solerina and Limestone Lad and Michael Bowe saw enough in the performance of Sweet Kiln, owned and bred by his father James, at Navan to generate even more of that Fairyhouse winning feeling.

"People have said the Lismullen wasn't up to standard, and some horses didn't perform, but I don't think she will need to improve to win again.

"In fact, if I can get her to Fairyhouse in the same form and the same frame of mind, I couldn't see anything beating her," Bowe said yesterday.

"That record doesn't mean anything. Records are there to be broken. If I start mouthing off about a super record and all that then we're sure to be stuffed," he added.

"But the mare is in tremendous form and did a nice bit of work under Tom (Doyle) on Saturday."

"I don't like making comparisons with Limestone Lad or Solerina but she is a tough, hardy girl who seems to be improving with age," Bowe reported.

"Whatever about the others the last day, she couldn't have done it any better and she did it in about eight or nine seconds faster than either of the other two did," he added.

Sunday's other Grade One highlights will be the Drinmore Properties Novice Chase and the Bar One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle which will not contain the highly-rated Aranleigh who opened his jumping account with a narrow win at Gowran on Saturday.

"We will up him in grade slowly. I don't want to put him in a Graded race next, have him fired into the first couple of hurdles and frighten him.

"There's a winners of one race at Navan on December 8th that's over two and a half miles," said Aranleigh's trainer, Tony Mullins, yesterday.

The jumping game may be dominating the headlines now but Horse Racing Ireland announced details yesterday of how they plan to mark the official end to the 2007 flat season at Dundalk on Friday week.

Specially commissioned perpetual silver trophies will be presented to the champion jockey, the top apprentice, the top owner and the champion trainer.

Pat Smullen will be crowned champion jockey for the fourth time in his career and is just two winners away from a century while Chris Hayes will be crowned champion apprentice for the third time.

It is over 30 years since Tommy Carmody was crowned the last triple champion apprentice.

Aidan O'Brien, also top of the table in Britain, is champion trainer here for the 10th time with over €5.1 million in prize-money while Sue Magnier is the champion owner with over €3.3 million won.

"Two thousand and seven has been a good year for Irish flat racing. The introduction of all-weather racing under floodlights provide Dundalk racecourse with an ideal opportunity to celebrate the season's end," said the HRI chief executive, Brian Kavanagh.

A total of five Irish hopefuls remain in Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in which last season's star novice Denman tops the weights.

The Irish challenge could include the Grand National third Slim Pickings as well as Mossbank from Michael Hourigan's yard. Other possibles include Point Barrow and the SunAlliance runner-up Snowy Morning while French Accordion, also a possible for the Drinmore at Fairyhouse, also holds the Newbury option.