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Henry de Bromhead’s Air Of Entitlement and the Gavin Cromwell-trained Sixandahalf head the 19 horses remaining in the Grade 1 Irish EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The pair finished first and second respectively in the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival when there was only half a length between them.
With the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle runner-up The Big Westerner also standing her ground, De Bromhead’s hand is further strengthened in a race that is likely to see a British challenger in the shape of the Fergal O’Brien-trained That’ll Do Moss.
Willie Mullins has left in eight horses with Karoline Banbou, fourth in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, and Maughreen, which lost all chance at the start in the same Cheltenham race, among them. The champion trainer could also be represented by his three-time hurdles winner Hey Sunshine and Aurora Vega which notched up her second Fairyhouse success when taking the Grade 3 SBK Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle in January.
Mullins' seven-strong team
Mullins is also well represented in the WillowWarm Gold Cup, the first of the two Grade 1 contests at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday.
He is responsible for seven of the 14 horses still entered with Grade 1 Dublin Racing Festival winner Ballyburn, Navan’s Grade 3 Flyingbolt Novice Chase winner Champ Kiely, the two-time chase winner Ile Atlantique, and the mares Fun Fun Fun and Spindleberry, the winner of the Listed Irish EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in late February, a big part of his team.
Gordon Elliott has left in Firefox, Down Memory Lane and Shecouldbeanything while Common Practice is there for Joseph O'Brien with Slade Steel a possible contender for Henry de Bromhead and Jesse Evans a big hope for Noel Meade.
There are 24 horses going forward for the €100,000 RYBO Handicap Hurdle on the opening day of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival on Saturday. Willie Mullins is not short of options with his Cheltenham Festival County Hurdle first and third, Kargese and Absurde, heading a team that also features Sir Gerhard and the far less experienced Kalix Delabarriere, a maiden hurdle winner on his most recent start.
The winner of the Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Cian Collins, Jazzy Matty is a most notable entry along with the Nicky Henderson-trained Joyeuse, a big handicap hurdle scorer at Newbury in February.
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