Ruby Walsh: Davy Crockett can deny Karbau

Davy Crockett and Paul Townend win for trainer Willie Mullins. Pic: Healy Racing

AN early Easter always benefits the Fairyhouse festival, the space between here and Punchestown enabling novice hurdlers and chasers to try both.

But today’s feature is the RYBO Handicap Hurdle at 5pm. Karbau will be all the rage, having never been in a competitive position in the County Hurdle and staying on when it was all too late.

The Cheltenham handicap regulations effectively rule novices out, but today’s contest looks to have a few unexposed lurkers, from Davy Crockett at number 10 down.

Powerful, Bokamsin, and Mode Avion all fit the bill for being ahead of the handicapper, but my eye was drawn to Davy Crockett at the entry stage, and he is the one that interests me most.

Tomorrow’s card at the foot of Ballyhack is up a level from today, with two Grade Ones and a pair of Grade Two novice hurdles. It’s a cracking card, and the first of the big races is the Grade Two Donoghue Marquee’s novice hurdle.

Leader d’Allier will be a short order to get compensation for his 11th-hour withdrawal in Cheltenham. I gave him a chance in the Supreme, and hopefully he can book himself a Punchestown ticket tomorrow.

The 2m4f novice hurdle follows on at 3.15pm with Saint Baco being the only one to have had a go in Prestbury Park. 

He got trapped wide on the course and over-raced before falling when well beaten at the last, but Paul Townend has opted to ride Carlisle winner He’s On Fire over him, You Proof, or Hippop De Loire. 

It could be seen as a big call, but Patrick Mullins raved about He’s On Fire and the feel he gave him after Carlisle so I can see why Paul has chosen him.

You Proof, too, is possibly going to need the run.

The first of the two Grade Ones is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at 3.50pm. Oldschool Outlaw fared best of these at Cheltenham.

The way she finished at the Festival suggests tomorrow’s extra half-mile will be right up her street, and there is no obvious reason why those behind her in March should reverse form today. 

Zanoosh and How’s Hannah were both on duty at Limerick on the same day and bring strong formlines to the table, but Oldschool Outlaw sets the standard.

The Willowwarm Gold Cup rounds out the quality action at 5pm, and English raider Sixmilebridge boasts the best form. 

Connections passed Cheltenham for a shot in this contest, hoping for slow ground over the horse’s best distance of 2m4f, and their decision could reap dividends.

The home challenge will be led by Jacob’s Ladder and backed up by Pure Steel, Kappa Jy Pyke, Jimmy Du Seuil, Western Fold, and Kala Conti, but Paul Townend has opted for Predators Gold of Willie Mullins’s trio.

After 582 days off the track, he collected at Navan when he beat Slade Steel but could have ‘bounced’ at Punchestown next time out. 

He is easy to forgive for that defeat but Paul choosing to ride him will probably mean his price will be short enough for his actual chance, and that might make Sixmilebridge a bit of value.

There’s a double-up holiday fixture on the banks of the Blackwater at Cork Racecourse Mallow. Willie Mullins has secured the services of Harry Cobden for six rides, and in the featured Bar1 Betting Chase at 4.10, he will ride Classic Getaway.

While it looks like a very winnable contest for them, Classic Getaway is 0/7 at trips beyond 2m6f and probably carries a warning sign for those who like short-priced favourites. But if you believe Harry Cobden hasn’t ventured to Cork for a day out, then Absurde at 1.50pm is the one to be with.

Gordon Elliott has led Mullins a merry dance all winter in a bid to claim his first Irish trainers’ title. Still, with the Punchestown riches coming into view, the master of Culentra needs his local festival to be a successful one if he is to keep the fire burning in his quest for glory. 

If he could outshine WP across the weekend and claim the Irish National, he will have the king of Clossutton sitting restlessly on his throne for another month.

Every horse Willie runs that can claim prize money adds to his cause, but for Paul Townend, only the winners count as he tries to chase down Jack Kennedy. He trails by 14, which is a credit to Jack, considering he gave Paul a five-week head start in the 49-week season. 

While Willie could easily train 25 winners this month that Paul could ride, being on the right one every time will be a challenge. The likes of Down Royal, Limerick, Balinrobe, Bellewstown, Tramore, and Kilbeggan, or the eight non-festival meetings left, will decide this one.

Alex Wood, British government adviser and co-host of BBC Scam Secrets, set out on an investigation commissioned by Flutter UK and Ireland, pre-Cheltenham Festival. 

What he found is not a revelation to many but hopefully, coming from someone independent, it might carry enough weight to be listened to.

I am a brand ambassador for Paddy Power and know people will assume I am toeing the party line, but this issue is not about the loss of income for regulated bookmakers; it’s about how dangerous the world will be without them.

Alex followed the advice of high-profile influencers on Instagram and other social media platforms, which directed him to black-market sites offering no player protection and no age or identity verification.

These sites also offered the use of cryptocurrencies to make deposits, providing an additional layer of anonymity.

Deposits to these unlicensed operators could also be made by Visa, Mastercard or Apple Pay, but the fact that Alex could open accounts in the names of Willie Mullins, using Cheltenham Racecourse as his address, Jack Kennedy, Harry Skelton, Constitution Hill, and Red Rum, whose address was listed as horse heaven, tells you the Wild West has been reborn as the British and Irish Governments go about regulating the gambling sector.

The worst account he opened was the one where he gave his age as six and his address as Buckingham Palace. In other words, he could have been anyone: Me, you, or somebody with an issue who has been excluded by the regulated market and turned free to where nobody is looking.

There is no simple answer to any addiction-related issues, but once it goes underground or out into the World Wide Web nowadays, there is no coming back.

The big firms are profit-driven entities, and Ladbrokes has already announced it plans to close 39 betting shops here in Ireland.

The loss of 200 jobs is bad enough news, but the devil you knew on the high street is starting to look a lot safer than the one you don’t know on the deep dark web.