Three grade one races worth an aggregate of £100,000 make tomorrow's Fairyhouse programme a connoisseur's delight. Top billing goes to the Avonmore Waterford Hatton's Grace Hurdle. The star in the title won three consecutive Champion Hurdles and it is not an impossible dream to suggest that Istabraq, favourite for tomorrow's race, could one day emulate the first of the postwar Irish hurdling champions.
Since bring bought out of John Gosden's stable, Istabraq has put together a remarkable sequence and arguably should be still unbeaten. That one defeat came in his first Irish start but since then he has kept on winning.
Cockney Lad, whom he beat by seven lengths in the £50,000 John James McManus Memorial Hurdle at Tipperary in October, takes him on again. In the meantime Noel Meade's runner has been a shade sharper in himself and he appeared to have plenty in hand when beating Istabraq's stablemate Just Little by two and a half lengths at Cork two weeks ago.
A double handed Aidan O'Brien should likewise win the Avonmore Waterford Royal Bond Novices Hurdle with Promalee who has more jumping experience than Cloone Bridge.
One trainer, who for sentimental reasons would dearly love to win it, is Arthur for whom Royal Bond was such a wonderful servant. The conditions though are against maidens and Moore's runner, the very promising Feathered Leader, was second in his single hurdle run behind Prince Dante at Naas.
Aidan O'Brien has also two runners in the Chiquita Drinmore Novice Chase with a better case to be made for Private Peace although in turn he does appear to be held by Hill Society.
The distance was 2m 4f when they last met and victory went to Hill Society at Navan but there is no reason for arguing that the drop in distance to 2m will give Private Peace a better chance.
Cailin Supreme has yet to produce over hurdles, the ability she displayed in bumpers. I predict though with some confidence that she will improve in time or else her remarkable trainer Paddy Mullins will want to know the reason why.
She was backed from 1 to 2 to 1 to 3 at Limerick and after disputing the lead at the second last jump, she dropped back into third place to Mallardstown.
Sir Peter O'Sullevan finally brings the curtain down on his broadcasting career when he calls his 40th and final Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury today. It is a career which began when O'Sullevan started writing obituaries for the Press Association in 1944.
In 1950, he began a 36-year association with the Daily Express before moving on to Today in 1986, a year before his retirement from newsprint journalism. He began his broadcasting career in 1946, calling his first televised race at Kempton on January 31 1948.
It was an occupation which saw him call over 14,500 races including 50 Grand Nationals, each of the Classics, Cheltenham Festivals and races in all corners of the world, earning him the title of "The Voice of Racing".
A career in which he was honoured three times, receiving an OBE and a CBE before being bestowed with the ultimate honour, a knighthood which he so graciously received last month.
The doyen of racing commentators admits he will feel a certain sadness at having to hang up the microphone for the final time but he is fully aware of the opportunities his career offered him.
"Although there will be a small element of sorrow, the principle emotion will be one of gratitude for having got this far, for having been lucky enough to endeavour to interpret the game I love for so long," said Sir Peter. "So it will be with a lot more gratitude than regret."
