RICHARD DUNWOODY travels to Fairyhouse today where a bumper eight-race card has a prize fund of £230,000. Financially, the £75,000 Powers Handicap Hurdle is the most valuable contest, but traditionally the Gold Cup is the second-day festival highlight, and Dunwoody can record his second win in the race, courtesy of Promalee.

Dunwoody won the Grade One contest in 1997 on Dorans Pride, and while Promalee may not be quite in that class, he looks up to giving first-season trainer Frances Crowley a welcome big-race success. After making a blinding start to her training career, Crowley's rate of progress was held up when the dreaded virus hit her yard. Her impact can be gauged, however, by her still holding fourth position in the trainers' table. Promalee hasn't run since early February when a mistake at the second-last fence finally finished his chance behind Nick Dundee at Leopardstown. But he looked a top novice when beating Fox chapel King over today's course and distance in November and is coming back to his best.

Of the opposition, Micko's Dream will do well to confirm recent form with Rince Ri, who jumped sketchily on that occasion. Crowley's other runner, Moscow Express and Cockney Lad, will also come into calculations but Promalee is taken to complete a Dunwoody double.

He can initiate that double with Bayling, who ran a nice race behind Dorans Pride on the flat at the Curragh nine days ago, in the opener, and Dunwoody will also be fancying his chances in the big handicap hurdle with the top weight Quinze.

Pat Hughes' admirable six-yearold ran up a sequence last autumn and reappeared at the Curragh last month. Nevertheless, it will be a tough task to give weight away in this race, and even though there are a host of horses with chances, why not narrow it down to Daraheen Chief and Sawa-Id for Jackpot purposes.

Both ran decent races in the Ladbroke, with Sawa-Id inconvenienced by a slow start and Daraheen Chief running second to Archive Footage. A subsequent fourth at Naas didn't dilute the impression that Daraheen Chief is suited by a fast two miles and Charlie Swan is the ideal man to give him a patient ride.