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Horse racing tips: Jane Mangan's bets for Fairyhouse on Sunday

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

Racing TV's Jane Mangan previews the three Grade One contests at Fairyhouse on Sunday, with an abundance of superstars in action, including Honeysuckle who will bid to make it 17 from 17 in the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle. Watch all the action live on Racing TV!

Watch: Jane Mangan previews the action at Fairyhouse on Sunday

Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (1.25pm)

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Champ Kiely has been a bit of a surprise package. He won a bumper by as far as he liked on his rules debut in May, and his last start at Tipperary was impressive because Brazil, who is a Fred Winter winner, has franked the form since, and Champ Kiely beat him impressively.

Willie Mullins also runs Hercule Du Seuil, who was a good winner at Navan last time out. He was keen there, he’s a front-runner and he’s not the easiest, and he’s a big ride for Luke Dempsey.

Polo Lounge and Ashroe Diamond also represent Mullins, and it’s interesting Patrick Mullins rides the latter who won a bumper at Aintree last season and was quite good on her hurdling debut at Naas. I think she needs to step forward to get near the geldings, though.

A contender I really like here is Irish Point. Gordon Elliott’s charge won a Grade One AQPS Bumper at Saint-Cloud 12 months ago and absolutely dominated the field when successful at Cork a couple of weeks ago. He arrives here under the radar as we’ve only seen him in a maiden hurdle so far, so I’m looking forward to seeing how he fares, and I think he could cause a surprise, even if he is a little inexperienced.

I’m delighted Barry Connell has a good horse and Marine Nationale looks the real deal. He won a bumper and his maiden hurdle at Punchestown, and we haven’t touched the surface with him yet.

It’s a huge ride for Michael O’Sullivan who is retained by Connell to ride all his horses. He’s a 5lb claimer, riding in Grade Ones, and it’s a huge statement of faith from Connell to stay loyal to him.

Selection: Irish Point.

Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase (1.55pm)

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This is a deep race, and we could see a star emerge here. I think Three Stripe Life would still have won (had Grand Jury not fallen at the second last) at Naas but that made his task easier, although Davy Russell hadn’t asked him many questions. Essentially, he’s a 148-rated hurdler who was a Grade One winner at Aintree, and he finished behind some of the machines from Willie Mullins’ yard last season, too, so was a very solid hurdler. He wasn’t as good as Mighty Potter, though, who impressed on his chasing debut at Down Royal.

You’ve also got the likes of El Barra who has more experience than other chasers in this field because this is his last outing as a novice, and Gaillard Du Mesnil has a rating of 156 over fences. He was placed in an Irish National, but has never won a chase, so he’s qualified because he’s been running in major races and not winning.

Banbridge was very good at Cheltenham, and you couldn’t fault him in the Arkle Trial there, and Authorized Art has improved around 20lb for going chasing having been rated 139 over hurdles.

Adamantly Chosen is a very exciting horse and I don’t think we saw the best of him over hurdles. He was rated 137 over hurdles but he won the Buck House Novice Chase very well when beating Visionarian.

I think Gordon Elliott could hold the key here, and his two were very good novice hurdlers. They both look like they are made for chasing, and their chasing debuts confirmed that, but I am going to go for experience and side with Gaillard Du Mesnil.

He’s still only six, but is rated 156 and has got experience in Grade One company at Cheltenham, and in the Irish National, and that will be a huge asset for him here.

Selection: Gaillard Du Mesnil.

Irish horse racing tips: Johnny Ward's bets for Fairyhouse.

Angus McNae: my best bets for Sunday.

Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle (2.30pm)

Click here for all the runners and riders plus latest odds

We’re counting down the career now on a true great and while Constitution Hill looks great, he still has it all to do ahead of him, whereas Honeysuckle is a dual Champion Hurdler, unbeaten, and she’s Honeysuckle!

I would say that she will have to be as good as she’s ever been on her seasonal reappearance to score on Sunday because she’s beaten Ronald Pump, who had an official rating of 156, on her past two victories in this race, and she faces Klassical Dream (rated 163) and Saldier (160) this year.

She sometimes isn't as sharp as she usually is in this race because it’s her first start and she’s got big targets in the spring, but I do think she will have to pull out all the stops to make it 17 from 17 and win a record-breaking fourth Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.

You’d have to think Klassical Dream will give her a different type of challenge because, while he’s a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, he’s a stayer now. He could drop in, or go a strong pace out in front, and Ashdale Bob was only just beaten by Klassical Dream in the Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown last season, so those two are stamina-laden types. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made it a good stamina test to expose any fitness frailties Honeysuckle may have.

Klassical Dream doesn’t race too often, and because he’s such a busy type, he probably gets himself fit at home.

I also have a lot of respect for Teahupoo. He’s done a lot as a young horse and is only a five-year-old, which people forget, and he beat Darasso by 11 lengths at Gowran Park last season, so is an interesting contender.

Echoes In Rain is very interesting, too, as she is now learning to settle after connections took the hood off her and she’s obviously maturing mentally. She’s also a classy Flat performer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was picking up the pieces behind the main protagonists.

However, I’m not going to abandon the ship and Honeysuckle is the selection.

Selection: Honeysuckle.

Irish horse racing tips: Johnny Ward's bets for Fairyhouse.

Angus McNae: my best bets for Sunday.

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