O'Grady's dry run

Irish racing: Nobody will be watching the first three races at Fairyhouse more closely than Edward O'Grady, who is investing a substantial amount of his Cheltenham team this afternoon.

The Gold Cup outsider Pizarro tries to get his festival hopes back on track in the Grade Three Bobbyjo Chase while Ned Kelly takes a drop in competition in an attempt to get off the mark over fences in the first.

However, there will also be a lot of interest in the Grade Three Tatts Winning Fair Hurdle as Sky's The Limit puts his own festival credentials on the line.

The ex-French horse has a number of options at Cheltenham but is as low as 20 to 1 with Ladbrokes for the JCB Triumph Hurdle despite having been a beaten favourite on his last start.

That defeat by Strangely Brown now looks different since that one's subsequent Leopardstown success but Sky's The Limit, on which David Casey takes over from Davy Russell, looks like a horse that will improve.

Up against him will be Loyal Focus, whose course and distance debut resulted in an elaborate display of sang-froid by Paul Carberry. That run should have brought Dermot Weld's charge on but the forecast "soft to heavy" going may be more in favour of Sky's The Limit.

Pizarro's jumping had been ropey long before he finally exited the Hennessy, but if Gold Cup thoughts are to continue he will have do do significantly better this afternoon against the Grand National hopes Hedgehunter and Rince Ri.

Ned Kelly is as low as 8 to 1 second favourite for the Arkle and after two Grade One efforts on his comeback so far, the beginners chase today should be little more than exercise.

Never Compromise was an expensive favourite at Leopardstown a fortnight ago and looks to regain winning form in the hunters chase while his stable companion Joint Agreement should have little problem with the three-mile trip in the novice handicap final.

Both Dermot Weld and Willie Mullins unveil newcomers in the bumper but it could pay to side with Paul Roche's Anothercoppercoast,who won a point-to-point at Lisgoold.

The Mullins team can pick up the handicap hurdle with Kadoun's inclusion leaving Raikkonen on a handy weight.