Invitation Only seeks to be star attraction at Fairyhouse

Invitation Only bids to get his season back on track in the Easter Festival April 16th-18th Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.So impressive in bumpers at Navan and Punchestown last spring, the son of Flemensfirth headed into this season as one of Willie Mullins' leading hopes in the novice hurdle division.The six-year-old made a decent start with victory at Gowran Park in November, but was beaten into third in the Navan Novice Hurdle the following month and has not been seen since.Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: " Invitation Only was one of our top bumper horses last season. "He beat Barra in his maiden hurdle, who ran well in the mares' novice (hurdle) in Cheltenham, before finishing third behind Death Duty and Monalee in Navan."On the face of it that isn't bad form, but we feel he wasn't at his best that day and he's taken a bit of time to come right."He appears to be working better now, two-and-a-half (miles) will suit him, the ground will suit him and the track will suit him, so we're expecting a big run."Invitation Only is one of three Mullins representatives in a 10-strong field.Al Boum Photo steps up in class after impressing at Thurles in January, while Livelovelaugh turns out 18 days after finishing down the field in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. "Al Boum Photo is a real stayer will probably end up over three miles," Mullins added. "This is a good opportunity to step him up in grade over two-and-a-half on a stiff track."I think he'll run well, but I don't think we'll see the best of him until he steps up in trip."Livelovelaugh ran well to the second-last in Cheltenham. "This is a drop in grade and I think the softer ground will help him, so we'd be hoping he'll pick up some prize-money, too."Leading owner JP McManus also fires three bullets at the Grade Two prize, with his retained rider Barry Geraghty preferring Ted Walsh's Any Second Now to Gordon Elliott's Minella Till Dawn and the Enda Bolger-trained Stand Up And Fight.Any Second Now won on his first two starts over hurdles before being beaten into third at Naas.Geraghty said in his At The Races blog: "It was a little disappointing that he could only finish third behind Forge Meadow in a Grade Two novice hurdle at Naas last time, but he was impressive in winning another Grade Two race on his previous run at Punchestown." He has run just three times over hurdles, so he has lots of potential. Also, the step up to two and a half miles on Sunday should be in his favour. "He has to give 5lb to all his rivals, which is obviously not ideal. Invitation Only is a highly-regarded horse who won his point-to-point, his two bumpers and his maiden hurdle, before getting beaten by Death Duty and Monalee at Navan in December."Runfordave was behind Any Second Now at Punchestown, but we have to give him 5lb now and he ran a big race in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham. It's a very interesting race."Elliott also saddles Runfordave, who was third in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Hurdle at Cheltenham.Ben Dundee, Le Martalin and Wishmoor complete the line-up.