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Star performers Teahupoo, State Man and Ballyburn head the 11 entries for the Grade 1 Bar One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on the second day of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival on Sunday, December 1st.
Teahupoo, trained by Gordon Elliott, is bidding to become the fourth horse to win three consecutive renewals of the race. Mighty mares Solerina (2003-2005), Apple’s Jade (2016-2018) and Honeysuckle (2019-2021) achieved the feat, while Limestone Lad was another three-time winner, with his wins coming in 1999, 2001 and 2002.
Teahupoo remained unbeaten in three starts last season when adding to his Bar One Hatton’s Grace Hurdle success in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the Champion Stayers Hurdle at the season-ending Punchestown Festival.
Gordon Elliott has also entered the hugely promising Brighterdaysahead, proven handicap hurdler Maxxum and the veteran Grade 1 winner Beacon Edge which was successful in a Grade 2 hurdle at Wetherby on his most recent start.
Willie Mullins has made five entries for the race with his champion hurdler State Man leading the way. He was undefeated in five starts last season with his Cheltenham Festival success his outstanding piece of form. His stable companion Ballyburn ended the 2023/2024 season as the standout novice hurdler on the back of his wins at the Dublin Racing Festival, the Cheltenham Festival and the Punchestown Festival. The exciting mare Lossiemouth, Mystical Power and Sir Gerhard, have also been entered by the champion trainer.
More contenders
Trainer Dan Skelton has entered his dual Cheltenham Festival winner Langer Dan while Jessica Harrington could be represented by her seven-time scorer Jetara.
There are 25 initial entries for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase with Gordon Elliott responsible for 16 horses. Among them is Shecouldbeanything which has the most experience over fences and her three wins includes a taking success in the Grade 3 O’Dwyer Steel Dundrum Novice Chase at Tipperary a month ago. Both Search For Glory and Firefox have registered more recent beginners' chase wins at Galway and Down Royal respectively, while Croke Park opened his account over fences at Fairyhouse on Tuesday of this week.
Stellar Story, successful in this year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, the Grade 1-placed Three Card Brag, the Gowran Park beginners' chase winner Rainbow Trail and last year’s Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle victor Farren Glory also feature among Elliott’s enviable entry.
A Grade 3 novice chase winner at Punchestown, Jordans is one of three entries for the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase for Joseph O'Brien. The Piltown maestro has also entered his Guinness Galway Hurdle hero Nurburgring which landed the Grade 3 Bar One Racing Price Boosts Juvenile Hurdle on the same card last year, and San Salvador, the winner of the Grade 3 Ballymore Irish EBF Kilbegnet Novice Chase at Roscommon in September.
Willie Mullins took the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase with the subsequent Aintree Grand National scorer I Am Maximus last year and Horantzau D’airy, twice a winner over fences and runner-up in both the Kerry National and the Munster National, is his only entry this time, while Henry de Bromhead could go with both Heart Wood, himself a handicap chase winner at this year’s Dublin Racing Festival and an impressive winner at Wexford last time, and Gorgeous Tom, recently successful in a Grade 3 novice chase at Cork.
Noel Meade's entries
Noel Meade has two entries of his own, the Galway Plate hero Pinkerton and last month’s Galway winner Sportinthepark, while Path D’Oroux, on the mark at Cheltenham two weeks ago, could be a runner for Gavin Cromwell.
Bar One Racing’s Barney O’Hare said: “We’re thrilled and proud to once again sponsor the annual Winter Festival at Fairyhouse. Our ongoing partnership with Fairyhouse holds great significance for us, and we’re delighted to support such a premier event in the racing calendar. The high calibre of entries in both Bar One Racing Grade 1 races truly highlights the competitive spirit of the festival. It promises to be an exceptional weekend of racing.”
Peter Roe, General Manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, added: “We are delighted with the quality of entries for our Bar One Racing Grade 1 races, it is great to see Teahupoo bidding to create history for the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, as if he wins, it could be the first time that there will be a hat-trick of consecutive three-time winners of a Grade 1 following on from the successes of Apple’s Jade and Honeysuckle.”
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