What promises to be a great day’s racing at Fairyhouse
on Sunday, November 29 will be further strengthened by two high-class Bar One
Racing-sponsored handicaps.
The second day of the winter festival features three renowned Grade 1 races,
the BARONERACING.COM Drinmore Novice Chase, the BARONERACING.COM Hatton’s Grade
Hurdle and the BARONERACING.COM Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
And adding to a stellar card will be the BARONERACING.COM Porterstown Handicap
Chase which features an overall prize fund of €125,000 this year and the
€75,000 Bar One Racing Extra Places Handicap Hurdle, the entries and weights
for which have been released today.
Sunday’s Punchestown winner Chavi Artist and the novice Court Maid look to give
Tom Mullins and owner Rory Larkin a strong hand in the BARONERACING.COM
Porterstown Handicap Chase.
Cheltenham Festival winner Milan Native, JP McNamara Munster National winner
Aforementioned, Troytown Handicap Chase runner-up Roaring Bull, 2018 Irish
Grand National winner General Principle and Monbeg Notorious, a former Thyestes
Chase winner, head an entry of 11 for trainer Gordon Elliott.
Successful in the race with Killer Miller a year ago, trainer Noel Meade has
entered four horses headed by the novices Brace Yourself and School Boy Hours,
with Voix Des Tiep the highest-rated of Willie Mullins’ quartet.
The Paul Nolan-trained Mon Lino and Tom Gibney’s Ah Littleluck, second and
third in the race last year are entered again while other notable contenders
include Dermot McLoughlin’s Captain Cj, winner of the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice
Chase at Navan in February and the recent Troytown Chase third, Scoir Mear,
another possible runner for Tom Mullins.
The Willie Mullins-trained Buildmeupbuttercup has held her form well since
finishing runner-up to her stable companion Janidil in the Bar One Racing Extra
Places Handicap Hurdle last year and she heads the 25 entries for the 2020
renewal after her listed hurdle success at Punchestown on Sunday.
The champion trainer has made six entries in all and the likes of Ciel De
Neige, fourth in this race a year ago, and Getaway Gorgeous might well join the
hat-trick-seeking mare in the two-mile event. Unfortunate not to win the race
in 2018, Campeador is one of five entries for Gordon Elliott.
Again, Noel Meade is strongly represented with a team of four that includes
Cask Mate and Red Gerry while the Liz Doyle-trained Cayd Boy, Charles Byrnes’
Advanced Virgo, Des McDonogh’s Galway Hurdle runner-up Hearts Are Trumps and
Tony Martin’s Tudor City, winner of the Galway Hurdle in 2019, could also play
their part.
Barney O’Hare of Bar One Racing said: “We’re pleased with the strong entry for
the Porterstown. We’ve got some established handicappers along with unexposed
and potentially well-handicapped horses. This should lead to a strong betting
heat on the day. It adds an extra dimension to a top-class day of National Hunt
racing.”
Peter Roe, General Manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, added: “We are delighted
with the strength and depth of the entries for our two big handicaps that
supplement our graded action on one of the biggest days in the Irish Jumps
calendar. The Bar One Racing Porterstown has attracted a strong entry from the
Gordon Elliott yard headed by former BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner General
Principle, while Captain CJ will be bidding to give local trainer Dermot
McLoughlin the biggest success in his training career. The Bar One Racing Extra
Places Handicap Hurdle features Sunday’s Punchestown listed hurdle winner
Buildmeupbuttercup and Hearts Are Trumps which would be a popular winner for
Dessie McDonogh.
“The track is currently yielding to soft and as the Easter Festival did not
take place this year the tracks for the two-day meeting will not have been used
since the corresponding fixture in 2019. We are gearing up to an exciting
fixture and while the meeting is behind closed doors we encourage people to
engage with us on our social channels for live action from the track and there
will be five races screened live on RTE on Sunday, November 29.”
Early betting for the BARONERACING.COM Porterstown Handicap Chase:
7/1 Milan Native, 8/1 Scoir Mear, 10/1 Captain CJ, 12/1 Chavi Artist,
12/1 Roaring Bull, 14/ Forza Milan, 14/ Death Duty, 16/1 Brace Yourself, Mon
Lino, Cooldine Bog, Treacyenniscorthy, High Sparrow, Ellwood, 20/1 Bar