O'Grady ace the one to catch at Fairyhouse

Edward O’Grady heads to Fairyhouse on Sunday for a potentially lucrative afternoon with Catch Me set to start favourite for the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.

The legendary Tipperary trainer has the probable market leader in another Grade One, the Drinmore Chase, to boot through Tranquil Sea and there appear to be no problems with the pair.

Catch Me has looked like a world-beater on occasions but has suffered his fair share of reversals along the way.

He certainly got his new winter campaign off to a flying start with a seven-length victory in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan three weeks ago.

“To be honest, the same thing applies to both my horses – they are both sharp and in grand order,” said O’Grady.

“The ground should be fine for Catch Me at the weekend. I think so and hope so anyway.”

In opposition are two former Champion Hurdlers and among the most popular horses for many years in the shape of Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace.

Now 10 and 11 respectively, the pair claimed the Cheltenham prize from 2004 through to 2006 but while Hardy Eustace was a winner of the Maplewood Developments Hurdle a fortnight ago, Brave Inca has been absent for nearly 600 days.

Meanwhile, Noel Meade is double-handed with Aitmatov – a well-beaten fifth in the Lismullen – and an interesting contender in Muirhead, who lost his unbeaten record when down the field in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

“Aitmatov is in good shape,” said Meade.

“The ground is probably a bit heavy for him as he prefers it better. He won on slow ground last year but it’s probably a better race this time. He’s there to take his chance.

“We also run Muirhead. He’d done everything right up to his bad run at Cheltenham.”