Racing: Dermot Weld has withdrawn Unaccompanied from Fairyhouse's Hatton's Grace Hurdle on Sunday, preferring instead to keep her fresh for Leopardstown at Christmas.
The filly was yesterday among seven five-day acceptors for the two-and-a-half mile trip, but Weld has since though better of it.
"I've decided to keep her at two miles and she'll run at Leopeardstown over Christmas," he told the Irish Timestoday. "I don't want to run her yet over two-and-a -half miles on soft ground.
“She’s in great form and we’ll run over Christmas.”
Willie Mullins, therefore, is responsible for four of the remaining six for the Grade One race. The County Carlow trainer’s foursome is headed by Thousand Stars, winner of the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown recently.
Mourad, fourth behind stablemate Hurricane Fly in this race 12 months ago, could try again, while Mikael D’Haguenet and Final Approach complete the Mullins quartet.
Colm Murphy’s talented mare Voler La Vedette is likely to attempt to follow up her recent Lismullen Hurdle success at Navan, while Edward O’Grady’s progressive The Real Article is also scheduled to run.
Voler De La Vedette was third in this race last year and Murphy reports her to be ready for the challenge.
“She’ll go there all being well. She’s in good form,” said the County Wexford trainer yesterday. “It’s a good race and she’ll be there if it goes well in the meantime. We’ll just keep her ticking over until the weekend.”