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By Dylan Jenear ValueChecker
Hurricane Fly and Solwhit to Lock Horns at Fairyhouse
25/11/10
Most of the talk regarding this weekend’s racing is focused on the Hennessy at Newbury and the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle on Saturday. However, there’s also a cracking card taking place on the other side of the Irish Sea at Fairyhouse on Sunday. The most valuable of the three Grade 1 contests is the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle in which Hurricane Fly and Solwhit are set to lock horns.
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Solwhit heads the ante-post betting for this 2½m race, and has a fitness advantage over his chief market rival, having made a winning reappearance at Punchestown earlier this month when outpointing Voler La Vedette and Donnas Palm, both of whom are poised to renew rivalry at the weekend. Conversely, Hurricane Fly goes very well when fresh and demonstrated his class when proving a neck too strong for the Solwhit in the Radobank Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival in April.
That was over 2m, but both horses are equally effective at this trip. What may tilt the scales in Solwhit’s favour, however, is the underfoot conditions. At the time of writing the ground at Fairyhouse is described as soft and, if it were to become even more testing by Sunday, that could count against Hurricane Fly, who handles plenty of cut, but does appear to be better suited by a sound surface.
Last year’s winner of this race, Oscar Dan Dan, is also among the entries. Thomas Mullins’ charge made a winning reappearance in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan where he was four lengths too strong for Jumbo Rio. They meet on the same terms on Sunday, but the latter is around double the price (available at 16-1) of Oscar Dan Dan, which could prove to be decent value, since the Eddie O’Grady-trained gelding looked in need of the run at Navan. Much depends on how the race cuts-up, though. There are 13 entries at the five-day declaration stage, but chances are there will be a number of defections.
Willie Mullins, trainer of Hurricane Fly, also has Mourad as an option for the Hatton’s Grace. The son of Sinndar, a creditable third to the classy mare Quevega when last seen out at the Punchestown Festival in April, coasted home 12 lengths clear of Donnas Palm over this C&D on his penultimate start and, should conditions deteriorate, the five-year-old will be a real threat. Currently available at 12-1, he will be cracking each-way value should at least eight runners go to post.
Recommendation: Mourad (each-way)
