RACING: A possible shake-up of the three-day Fairyhouse Easter Festival, with dates running from Saturday to Monday instead of the current format, are set to be discussed by the racing authorities within the coming weeks.

A disappointing crowd last Tuesday of just over 6,500 has prompted the Fairyhouse manager to urge discussions on the possibility of the traditional Easter format being re-jigged in future.

The switch of the Powers Gold Cup to Sunday this year, from its traditional Tuesday slot, resulted in a one thousand increase in attendance but also contributed to a drop off for the final day on Tuesday.

"I think changing the Easter festival to Saturday-Sunday-Monday is something that should be discussed," Dick Sheil said yesterday. "I would have to talk to the Horse Racing Ireland planning board, our sponsors and the television people but it's something worth considering."

Sheil added: "We have to come to terms with the fact that we have a changing society out there. In the old days, nobody went outside their door over Easter. This year 300,000 left Ireland to spend the Easter holidays abroad.

"The Tuesday suffered this year because so many people simply go away and many others have to go back to work. Maybe moving to Saturday would allow more people come which would be important for our attendances and also for our sponsors."

Such a move this year would have resulted in a clash with the Leopardstown Guineas Trials on the Saturday but Sheil yesterday reported some significant viewing figures for RTÉ's Grand National coverage and he is also aware of a tight timetable for the Easter festival and the Aintree Grand National next year.

"At the moment, our festival will end on the Tuesday in 2007 and then, two days later, the Aintree National Festival will start. It's very tight and an extra day between the two might help a lot of people," he said.

"Our television figures for the National this year are excellent. Over 360,000 watched the race which is almost a 46 per cent share of the audience at that time," he added.

The Punchestown Festival begins on Tuesday and it could include a fascinating clash between the top novice Justified, who won Sunday's Powers Gold Cup, and the current two-mile king Newmill in the Kerrygold Champion Chase.

A total of just 10 horses remain in the Grade One opening day highlight after yesterday's forfeit stage and significantly, Justified is one of them despite also having a novice option later in the week.

"He has come out of Fairyhouse really well and we're tempted to run in the Champion," admitted trainer "Dusty" Sheehy yesterday. "But I will have to talk to the owners and to Tony McCoy before deciding what we do."

The champion jockey may be claimed to ride the JP McManus-owned Fota Island, runner-up to Newmill at Cheltenham, at Punchestown but soft ground could also mean that horse is switched to an alternative target at Sandown.

The McManus-owned Straw Bear, an impressive winner at Aintree and only just beaten in the Supreme at Cheltenham, heads the 13 entries for the Grade 1 VC Bet Champion Novice Hurdle.

Nick Gifford's horse is an intended traveller from Britain and is set to clash again with Sweet Wake, fifth at Cheltenham, and another Noel Meade hope, Iktitaf, who had to miss last month's festival through injury.

Two Irish trained hopes, Nil Desperandum and Another Rum, are among the maximum 30 runners declared for Saturday's Gala Casinos Scottish Grand National.

Afterwards Nil Desperandum, fourth in the Aintree National, will leave the Frances Crowley stable and remain in Britain.

"We don't really cater for staying chasers in Ireland. After the race he will be trained in England but I'm not sure by who," Crowley said yesterday.

Another Rum, third in the Scottish National last year, will again take his chance under jockey Tony Ross.