Gavin Cromwell’s William Hill blog: Bottler’secret can turn the tables at Fairyhouse

William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell previews a selection of his runners at Fairyhouse this weekend, also providing updates on Limerick Lace, Inothewayurthinkin and Stumptown.

A look back at last weekend

Last weekend’s Grade One action didn’t go quite as we hoped but there were still lots of positives to take. Limerick Lace never really looked happy in the Betfair Chase which was disappointing because she went there in good nick.

Most importantly she’s come home fine and we’ll regroup and make plans for the rest of the season. There are a couple of mares’ races in our sights, the John and Chich Fowler at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, or the Silver Vase at Doncaster which she won last year. They’re her provisional targets for the moment.

I’d take more positives than negatives from Inothewayurthinkin’s run in the John Durkan. I thought he jumped really well and the two-and-a-half mile trip is really a minimum for him. He was bang there before the turn in where he just tired and they quickened away.

His jumping was very good and he’ll improve plenty for the run. He’ll have to keep improving in open company and he has an entry in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. Hopefully as the season goes on and he steps up in trip he’ll be more competitive. That was his first run out of novice company so it was always going to be hard.

Stumptown was a nice winner at Punchestown and we were really pleased with him on his first run this season. The long-term plan for him is to go back to the Cheltenham Festival but this time for the Cross Country Chase. He’ll probably run in the Cross Country Chase at the December meeting to gain some experience before the Festival.

Saturday, Fairyhouse

We have quite a few runners at Fairyhouse this weekend, starting with Now Is The Hour in the Beginners Chase over 2m 5½f (11.35am). We’re looking forward to getting him out after he was a non-runner at Tipperary last week because the ground was too dry for him. He wants proper soft ground so hopefully we’ll get that.

We run three in the 2m1f Listed Handicap Chase (12.45pm), with Visionarian carrying top weight. He’s coming back into handicap company after running in a Grade One on his last start. He’s giving plenty of weight away but he jumps really well and the ground will suit him, so hopefully he’ll be competitive.

Railway Hurricane is a pretty consistent performer and he probably doesn’t help himself because he never really drops in the handicap. We were a bit disappointed with him the last day and we’re hoping he’ll bounce back here.

It’s a first run back for King Of Prs who was impressive last season and shot up in the handicap because of that. He seems in good form at home so we’re hoping for a nice run, but life will certainly be harder for him this season.

We do run five in the two-mile Maiden Hurdle (1.20pm), but in all honesty I think we’re going to struggle to be competitive here. Le Bugiste and Kazakh D’Arthel were both non-runners last weekend, and both of them are interesting types. It’s just a case of getting both of them settled and things going right for them, which hasn’t happened so far.

Next is the Grade Three Hurdle over two miles (1.55pm) where we’ll run Bottler’secret. We want to keep him at his own age and although he’ll have to give weight away, he would’ve had to in the Grade Two on Sunday as well.

He’s sharpened up since his run at Cheltenham and he seems in good form at home. He was very rusty there; he didn’t enjoy the good ground and he just wasn’t sharp enough. He’s six pounds better off at the weights against Givemefive this time so hopefully we’ll see a different horse and different result.

After that we have Stuntman Steve in the 2m4½f Novice Hurdle (2.30pm). He’ll need to improve plenty to win this race having been given a mark of 118 by the handicapper. I hope he’s right, but that mark is certainly high enough for him.

We have two runners in the final race of the day, the Handicap Hurdle over 2m4½f (3.05pm). Aeros Luck is up towards the top of the weights and he’s been working well at home so we’re hoping for a nice run from him.

Keith Donoghue has chosen to ride Tonaghneave Well and he has the advantage of race fitness under his belt. He ran really well the last day where he was just denied and we’re bringing him back out quite quickly, but he’s more effective on nice ground and he probably won’t have that for much longer. He could go to the Novice Handicap at Leopardstown at Christmas, but we’ll have to wait and see whether the ground holds up for him.

Sunday, Fairyhouse

Our first runner on Sunday is La Malmason in the Mares Handicap Chase over 2m4f. She’s in good form at home and the softer the ground the better for her because she’s got quite a high knee action. If it softens up for her then we’d be hopeful of a good run.

We finish off our weekend with three runners in the 3m5½f Listed Handicap Chase. Malina Girl is the highest rated of the three and she’s been a brilliant horse for us. She is quite high in the weights here and she’s only a small little mare, but this is the ideal race and trip for her so hopefully she can put in a good show.

She only missed the cut for the Grand National by one last season and that definitely could be the target again for her this season. We’ll have to see how the season goes but she could definitely try to go to Aintree again.

Peaches And Cream ran well off a similar mark the last day in Kelso and we were trying to decide between coming here or going to the Borders National. He wants nice ground and we have it at the moment so we’ll take our chance here. He stays really well and hopefully he can be competitive, even though his mark is probably high enough for him.

At the lower end of the weights we have Evies Vladimir. He was really consistent last year and ended up 37 pounds higher as a result. He’s as fit as we can get him at home but it’s a big ask to go over this trip on his first run of the season. He’s in good shape though, hopefully he’ll run well.