Oldschool Outlaw can boost Elliott’s champion trainer prospects
Oldschool Outlaw and Shane O'Brien during morning exercise. Pic: Healy Racing
Oldschool Outlaw can boost Gordon Elliott’s prospects of at last becoming champion trainer by winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle, the first of two Grade Ones on Sunday’s stellar Fairyhouse card.
The JP McManus-owned six-year-old has already enjoyed a fine season, winning three of her four starts, the sole defeat coming when thwarted by 40-1 outsider White Noise in the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last month.
While frustrating for connections, Oldschool Outlaw ran a huge race in defeat and looks sure to put up another bold bid here. It’ll take a big performance to lower her colours.
Zanoosh looks the horse best-placed to produce such a performance. The Colm Murphy-trained six-year-old has won each of her last four starts, a Grade Three win at Limerick last month her most recent success.
She’ll need to improve again if she is to complete the five-timer but she may be capable of doing so.
The WillowWarm Gold Cup, the other Grade One on the card, provides an opportunity for Willie Mullins to make a quick response to title rival Elliott but Kappa Jy Pyke may have to give best to English raider Sixmilebridge.
Like Kappa Jy Pyke, Sixmilebridge is unbeaten this season but the Fergal O’Brien-trained seven-year-old boasts the higher level of form having already bagged a Grade One.
That Sandown success looked to have teed Sixmilebridge up perfectly to give O’Brien a first Cheltenham Festival success but the quickening ground forced his withdrawal from the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase.
The plus side to that frustrating situation for connections is that Sixmilebridge comes to Fairyhouse a fresh horse and he may be able to deny Mullins a record-extending seventh win in this race.
Like Sixmilebridge, the Mullins-trained Leader d'Allier was a late withdrawal from Cheltenham after being found lame before his intended outing in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
The Grade Two Donohue Marquees Novice Hurdle looks a good opportunity to gain a measure of compensation for that and it’ll be a surprise if Leader d'Allier fails to seize that chance.
Mullins also has a host of chances at Cork where Harry Cobden could run riot, starting in the opening maiden hurdle where Mino Des Mottes looks the one to beat.
Classic Getaway in the featured Grade Three BAR 1 Betting Chase and Kimi De Mai are other likely Cobden-ridden winners.
FAIRYHOUSE
1.30 Newbrook Diamond
2.05 Doctor Elvis
2.40 Leader d'Allier (NB)
3.15 Love Me Tender
3.50 Oldschool Outlaw (Nap)
4.25 Birdie Or Bust
5.00 Sixmilebridge
5.30 Hunters Yarn
1.30 Splendid Fellow
2.05 Mi Lucky Cailin
2.40 Too Bossy For Us
3.15 He's On Fire
3.50 Zanoosh
4.25 Break My Soul
5.00 Kappa Jy Pyke
5.30 Wrappedupinmay
1.15 Mino Des Mottes
1.50 Ndaawi
2.25 Kimi De Mai
3.00 Autumn Twist
3.35 Onlymammycanloveme
4.10 Classic Getaway
4.45 Wingmen
5.15 Harry's Diamond
1.15 Hygge
1.50 Absurde
2.25 Crystal Gold
3.00 Coyote Spirit
3.35 One And Only
4.10 Nowwhatdoyouthink
4.45 Funiculi Funicula
5.15 Too Hot To Trot
