Hatton's Grace Preview: An Apple a day...

The rollcall of winners from Sunday’s card at Fairyhouse reads like a who’s who of subsequent Cheltenham Festival winners and includes the likes of Gold Cup victor Don Cossack, Triumph Hurdle winner Our Conor and the Champion Hurdle hero Jezki.

Hatton’s Grace Hurdle

The two major protagonists for Sunday’s Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (13:30) – Apple’s Jade and Nichols Canyon – also have Cheltenham Festival wins on their ledger. Nichols Canyon was third in both the Neptune and the Champion Hurdle, before making it third time lucky when landing the Stayers’ Hurdle last season. He won the Royal Bond at this meeting in 2014 and shoul go well in his bid for a ninth Grade 1 victory. 

The Gordon Elliott-trained Apple’s Jade beat another Willie Mullins inmate (Vroum Vroum Mag) when landing this race by a short-head 12 months ago, and with that rival not among the declared runners, Apple’s Jade looks the horse to beat. Admittedly, she had a 4-lb weight-for-age allowance on her side last December, but she put up a 6-lb better performance when signing off last season with a 14-length success in a Punchestown Grade 1, squeezing a win in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in between.

What a finish between two wonderful mares! Apple's Jade fends off Vroum Vroum Mag to win the Hatton's Grace: https://t.co/OzBAcUH1hD

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 4, 2016

Unlike Nichols Canyon, Apple’s Jade has already run (and won) this season, not having to be near her best when making all in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan last month. Stablemate Mick Jazz also has a run under his belt, having shaped encouragingly after being caught out of his ground when the principals pressed on in a Grade 2 won by Melon at Down Royal last month.

Supasundae improved 11 lb last season, producing a career-best effort when landing the Coral Cup and then matching that when only finding Yanworth a length too good in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree three weeks later. Further progress this term should not be discounted. Cilaos Emery wore down Melon and Pingshou when landing the Champion Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown in April and should stay this longer trip, while Swamp Fox and Augusta Kate both need to improve quite considerably to play leading roles here.

Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle

The two other Grade 1s on the card are for novices, with the Royal Bond the first to get underway at 13:00. Mengli Khan leads a three-strong attack for Elliott and is hugely respected given his recent improvement in his second season over hurdles (didn’t win in two starts last term), but this renewal looks stronger on paper than usual, and he is taken on with Le Richebourg.

A half-brother to Grands Crus and Gevrey Chambertin, Le Richebourg is one of the more exciting recruits to be seen in this division so far this season and the Joseph O’Brien-trained four-year-old is preferred to Makitorix, an impressive winner at Listowel in September. Makitorix represents Willie Mullins, who has farmed this race in recent years, and, given the yard’s strength in depth in this division, the market could help spell out the horse’s chance.

The Flat-bred Early Doors, unbeaten in two over hurdles (Grade 3 winner last time), also represents Joseph O’Brien, while Red Jack - who has won all three starts for Noel Meade – did it as he liked at Naas last month and is another potential superstar.

Drinmore Novices’ Chase

The famous Benjamin Franklin quote tells us that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” and the market suggests that the Drinmore Novices’ Chase should be a formality for the aptly-named Death Duty. He won his first four over hurdles last term and put a disappointing effort in the Albert Bartlett behind him when third to Bacardys and Finian’s Oscar in the Champion Novices’ Hurdle at Punchestown six weeks later. Since then he has transitioned well to fences, producing a much more convincing performance than on debut when landing a Grade 3 at Punchestown last month.

Gigginstown have enjoyed near domination of this race in recent years, winning four of the last six renewals, including with the likes of Don Cossack and Valseur Lido, and they have a strong team once more. A three-pronged attack also includes Shattered Love and Dinaria des Obeaux, the latter having a strong chance on weight-adjusted ratings as a four-year-old receiving 15 lb from her male rivals and 8 lb from Shattered Love.

Rathvinden has experience on his side and has taken his form up a notch on his last two starts, while the smart staying hurdler Snow Falcon shaped with promise on his chase debut at Naas earlier this month and isn’t discounted too readily. Townshend completes the six-strong field, but has a bit to find, having been a well-held fourth behind Rathvinden at Galway back in August.