There may be £91,000 in prize money on offer at Fairyhouse today but even so the executive have still elected to pack their three Grade One races into a 60-minute time span tomorrow. This certainly gives an unbalanced look to the weekend's racing, these three prestigious events making do with a bare 20 runners.
However, Limestone Lad is the number one crowd puller for an audience that takes a special delight in the small outfit putting one over on the multimillionaire owners.
It was on this day last year that Limestone Lad engineered the defeat of Istabraq in the Hattons Grace Hurfle. This was only the third time in Istabraq's jumping career that he has been beaten and Limestone Lad interrupted a winning sequence that had promised to eclipse the stars of yesteryear. He had won eight consecutive races and went on to complete another hat-trick afterwards.
Despite this giant-killing act the Bowes always had their eye set on a chasing career and Limestone Lad can make it five in a row over fences in the Pierse Drinmore Novice.
Even without the on-course tax, there has been scant profit to be got in his last two wins as in both cases he was returned at 1-7. Bookmakers will be more competitive on this occasion as the opposition is the strongest he has met this season.
On paper, Arctic Copper has the beating of Sackville but Frances Crowley's horse has won at Cheltenham since and it could be a close-run thing between the pair as to who will mount the final challenge to Limestone Lad. In either case he should have their measure.
A mare who is likewise bidding for her five-timer is Liss A Paoraigh and while Quadco won his last hurdle start at Cork by 15 lengths, she is the more battle hardened of the pair as may become evident in the closing stages of the Boyle Bookmakers Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
There is no Istabraq this year in the Ballymore Properties Hattons Grace Hurdle but even so Noel Meade strikes a slightly pessimistic note about his chances of Sausalito Bay turning over Punchestown Festival placings with Moscow Flyer at this stage in the season. His first Cheltenham winner was late in coming back to Noel after the summer break whereas his rival has had two runs and scored in comprehensive fashion last time out.
Tomorrow's nap is Hidden Ability (2.55) to reproduce on a home track the sort of ability Cheltenham racegoers witnessed recently. Likewise, today's nap is another improving handicapper Be Home Early (2.00). He jumped really well at Naas last Saturday and is aided by the weights here having gone up by 16lbs all round.
If Palouse (3.00) settles better than at Cheltenham he could well ensure that Masalrian will yet again to be satisfied with place money. Edward O'Grady has a double in his sights with Albatross (1.00) and Malabar (1.30). A win for Albatross would confirm him as the best of our pre-Christmas juvenile hurdlers.
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