Racing

Easter Festival: Three to consider for Fairyhouse

How’s Hannah (Honeysuckle Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, 14.40pm, Sunday)

Oldschool Outlaw ran a big race when second at the Cheltenham Festival having previously won both starts in this sphere and is a leading player, but will that run have left a mark?

Bambino Fever needs to bounce back after running poorly in the same event, so a chance is taken on her stalemate HOW’S HANNAH.

She comfortably won her first two hurdle starts and made Zanoosh fight hard when second in a Grade 3 event at Limerick last time out.

I thought she did well considering the way the race panned out wouldn’t have suited and she could improve for the better ground.

She’s 3lb worse off with the winner but surely has more to come and this event has clearly been her target. It would come as no surprise to see her competitive.

Sixmilebridge (Gold Cup, 17.00pm, Sunday)

In the feature race on Sunday, the WillowWarm Gold Cup, I’m hoping British raider SIXMILEBRIDGE can extend his unbeaten chase record for the Fergal O’Brien team.

He’s won all three starts over fences and was a dominant winner of a Grade 1 event at Sandown when last seen, where he jumped his remaining rivals into submission under an attacking ride from the front.

Whether Kitzbuhel would have beaten him had he not departed, only time will tell, but the latter scored in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival, so that’s undoubtedly a strong form boost.

This track should suit his prominent-style of racing, and the seven-year-old has more to offer, so having already established himself as a top-level performer, the trip to Ireland can prove successful.

Betterdaysahead (Irish Grand National, 17.00pm, Monday)

BETTERDAYSAHEAD appears to have been laid out for the big one on Monday. He ran with credit to finish sixth in the race last year having had a hard race when third in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival five weeks earlier.

He’s shaped well on both starts this season, finishing second over hurdles at Navan before filling the same spot in the Webster Cup at the same venue. He will come into this year’s renewal a fresher horse off the exact same mark as twelve months ago.

This race tends to go to the classier horses and he’s certainly one of them, so given his ideal preparation and experience of this race, Gordon Elliott’s charge could easily improve on last year’s effort. I think he’s massively overpriced.