Key horses to follow at Fairyhouse Easter Festival 2024

Built By Ballymore – 4.30 Saturday

There was significant support for Built By Ballymore in the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, as a starting price of 4/1 favourite indicates, the public gamble latching onto the fact connections had finished second in the race the previous two years. It was disappointing that he could only finish 14th, fully 23 lengths behind winner Langer Dan, on the back of the market support, but he can be forgiven being found wanting in such a stern test on just his fifth start over hurdles. His previous win at Punchestown still marks him out as a smart prospect and if Martin Brassil thinks he’s ready to step up to three miles in the Listed I.N.H Stallion Owners EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final, then we should probably sit up and take notice.

Comfort Zone – 5.05 Saturday

Remember Comfort Zone? A winner for JP McManus and Joseph O’Brien on Cheltenham trials day in 2023? Well, the son of Churchill could be seen for the first time over hurdles since then in the RYBO Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Saturday, his form at this track with Lossiemouth as a juvenile immediately making him of interest here from a handicap mark of 132. A good second on the level in the Petingo Handicap at Leopardstown when last seen in September, that was evidence he can run well fresh and he’ll be a fascinating contender should he line up this weekend.

Jetara – 2.35 Sunday

Jessica Harrington’s Jetara is well bred for the jumping game being by Walk In the Park out of Jelan, a sister to Champion Hurdle winner Jezki, also trained by Harrington. With such a pedigree Jetara has always been highly-touted, but she took her time to shed her maiden status over hurdles. Indeed, she had to wait until her fifth start over timber at Fairyhouse in November to gain her first hurdles win, but she did it by 16 lengths and then won her next two at Listed and Grade 3 level. No wonder she was heavily supported for the Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival, going off 3/1. She took a keen hold over 2m6f that day, doing well to finish third, but dropping back to 2m4f for the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle looks the right move and, back against her own sex, she’s a threat to the Cheltenham horses.

No Flies On Him – 3.10 Sunday

Talking of horses that missed Cheltenham, No Flies On Him will be a popular choice in the Grade 2 Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle after Edward O’Grady opted to swerve the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, what with owner JP McManus having Mystical Power for that race. That decision looked no bad thing when No Flies On Him’s Punchestown conqueror, Tullyhill, was well beaten in the Supreme, and in truth that form as a whole looks decidedly dodgy given those immediately in behind him were pulled up in Cheltenham handicaps. However, No Flies On Him should be viewed away from that prism, as the impression he made when winning at Leopardstown was a big one and he’s so lightly raced, after just two hurdles starts, that the best could still be to come from him, especially now he steps up in trip to 2m4f.

Spillane’s Tower – 4.55 Sunday

The Grade 1 WillowWarm Gold Cup is the highlight of the three-day festival away from the Irish Grand National and it seems a long time since Kerry Lee won the race with Kylemore Lough in 2016 now. Willie Mullins has won the last five renewals and looks set to train the favourite again this year with Blood Destiny, but Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower has become a worthy adversary to that horse this season and over this 2m4f trip he’s arguably the one to be with. It was over that distance that he was too strong for Blood Destiny at Punchestown in January, outstaying his rival with a strong finishing effort, and it wasn’t really a surprise when the Mullins horse reversed the form over two miles at Navan last time out. That was a career-best for Blood Destiny, but he’s not sure to replicate the form out half a mile in trip and Spillane’s Tower could be the one to outstay him in the run for the line once again.

Bottler’secret – 2.40 Monday

The Grade 2 O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle has some interesting runners from the Fred Winter and Spring Juvenile amongst its number, but Gavin Cromwell’s lightly-raced Bottler’secret could be too strong for the lot of them. The son of Dragon Pulse warmed to his task in the hurdling department when making his debut over jumps in a Grade 3 at Naas in February, but fairly bolted up by 11 lengths once asked to go and win the race in the straight. He didn’t take up his Triumph entry, a race that might not have suited given his inexperience, but these slightly shallower waters look the perfect next step for one with plenty of potential.

Nick Rockett – 5.00 Monday

The key horse running over the three days at Fairyhouse looks like being Willie Mullins' Nick Rockett, hot favourite for the Boylesports Irish Grand National. He'll be key for punters and bookmakers, anyway, whichever side of the coin you’re on. The positives are he’s a progressive and lightly-raced novice with winning course form, trained by the main man Mullins who said he ‘loves horses for courses’ when the weights were unveiled, an event at which the Irish handicapper, Sandy Shaw, said he was ‘shaking in his boots’ having heard the confidence behind the horse. It took Mullins a long time to master the Irish National – he won it for the first time in 2019 – but he won it for the second time last year and it looks like he’s begun to find the winning formula for the race. The negatives? Well, he’s around 4/1. You pay your money, you take your choice.

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