Gavin Cromwell
Gavin Cromwell’s William Hill blog: Fairyhouse Easter Festival preview
William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell previews his runners across all three days of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival, culminating in the Irish Grand National.
Fairyhouse, Saturday
We kick off the three days at Fairyhouse with two runners in the mares maiden hurdle (14:05). Simply Natural ran well in her first maiden hurdle and she’s in good form. She looks to have a good chance in this race and hopefully she’ll go close.
Baby Fish might just struggle at this level and will be one for handicaps.
We then have three runners is the Listed mares handicap chase (14:40). Obviously it’s not ideal for us to have three horses taking each other on, but it’s a race we’ve won a couple of times in the past and it’s a nice one to win.
Bioluminescence will have to carry top weight, but hopefully she’s the one in the race with a bit of class. She seems in good form heading there.
Me Wee Bonnie Lass seems in great form at home and gets in here off the minimum weight, so hopefully she can run well and not be too far away.
Crescent Moon disappointed the last day and it was a bit of a headscratcher, so we’re just hoping she can bounce back from that.
We then run Dutch Schulz in the 2m5f handicap chase (15:15). He’s stepping up in trip on his first run back from a break, so hopefully he can improve for whatever he does here. Caoimhe O’Brien gets on well with him, so hopefully she can get a tune out of him.
We have a couple of nice horses in the maiden hurdle up next (15:50). Barnpark is a point-to-point winner who we like. He shows plenty of pace and we’re just hoping he stays the two-and-a-half miles here. His work is very good at home so I think he should have a chance.
Largy Star is another nice type. He was well beaten by Love Sign d’Aunou at Naas the last day, but that was on very testing, borderline unraceable ground. He’ll appreciate the nicer conditions here and hopefully that can see him run well.
In the Listed handicap hurdle (17:00) we run Hello Neighbour. We probably just rode him wrong in the William Hill County Hurdle. He was dropped out too far, was a bit keen and had to use a lot of energy to get involved in the race. He’s come out of that well, he seems in good form and should have a nice chance in this.
We finish off Saturday with Belladaball in the Listed mares bumper (17:35). The nicer the ground the better for her, because she has lots of pace. I’ve definitely seen strong Listed races, so hopefully she can pick up a place and get some black type we’ll be happy with that.
Fairyhouse, Sunday
Sunday is a quieter day for us. We have three entered in the maiden hurdle (13:30), but they all look unlikely to get in. Deep Warrior, Me Wee Nanny Fran and Mirfaq will run if they get in, but I’m not sure they’ll have enough to trouble the judge at this level.
We then have Good Option and Sheer Raz in the novice handicap hurdle (14:05). Good Option missed the start the last day and got shuffled too far back to really get involved. Hopefully he can bounce back from that.
Sheer Raz is down the order on the ballot and looks as though he’ll struggle to get in.
Fairyhouse, Monday
We have a good number of runners on Irish Grand National day, starting off with three in the novice handicap hurdle (14:05). All three of them are unexposed and you never truly know how they’ll perform in handicaps until they’ve taken their chance. Saveforarainyday won a very ordinary race the last day in Limerick and I’m hoping she can build on that.
Kabylia and Glenrush Bay are both strong travellers. They’ll appreciate better ground, so if the rain comes that would be a negative for them, whereas Saveforarainyday would have no problem with it.
It’s hard to pick between the three of them, but I suppose Saveforarainyday comes here off the back of a win which is always a positive.
Then it’s the two-mile Grade 2 juvenile hurdle (14:40), a race we won with Bottler’secret a couple of years ago. We have North Shore in there this time around. He was ridden handy enough in the Triumph Hurdle and the bit of rain we had made it testing ground, and he paid the price for that. He’s come out of that race fine, so hopefully he can be competitive in this.
Welonlyhavedone has had a bit of a break and comes back in the 2m5½f handicap hurdle (15:15). He’s a funny horse to get to grips with because his form has been in-and-out, but his work is so consistent. I’m optimistic that he’ll put in a good run and it looks as though conditions should suit.
Only By Night was one of our standout performers at Cheltenham and she returns here in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade 2 chase (16:20). She’s up against some highly rated horses, but some of them have been a bit out of form. Hopefully we might just have the edge on them there as she’s in great form at home. I’ll be disappointed if she’s not bang there.
Then it’s onto the Irish Grand National (17:00), where we have three entered who are likely to get a run. Born Braver was good winner of the Ulster National last weekend and he’s come out of that really well. When you’re getting in the bottom of the handicap in a €500,000 race, why not take your chance? He went up eight pounds for that win, but Eoghan Finegan is going to claim seven off him here, so he’ll effectively still only have 9st 13lbs on his back.
You never know until you run them, but the trip looks absolutely ideal and hopefully he can run another big race.
Yeah Man has been disappointing on his last couple of runs, but staying chases are his game. He’s not well handicapped, but if he can bounce back to his best then he can still run well and hopefully be in the money.
The Lovely Man could possibly still be a bit unexposed, going into this off the back of winning the Leinster National. The more rain that comes the better for him – he loves testing ground.
After that we have Union Station in the three-mile handicap chase (17:40). He ran a big race at Cheltenham to finish fourth in the National Hunt Chase. He’s come out of that fine, he’s working well and hopefully he can run another nice race here.
We finish of our Fairyhouse Easter Festival with The Old Head in the bumper (18:10). He’s a nice horse who we really like. It’s his first start but he goes there in good shape, so hopefully he can run a big race.
