RACING FAIRYHOUSE REPORT:ONLY MIKAEL D'Haguenet's slip at the final fence prevented a Grade One bonanza at Fairyhouse yesterday for the Willie Mullins-Paul Townend team, who had earlier unveiled another potential jumping superstar in the ex-French flat horse, Zaidpour.

Mullins had rated Zaidpour an €80,000 bargain even before he ran, but a sauntering, dozen-length success in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle makes him pretty much priceless now.

The half-brother to Zaynar ran three times on the flat for Alain de Royer-Dupre in France before being sold at the Arc sales last year for €80,000.

“I would have paid double, maybe treble the money. I thought we got a bargain,” Mullins admitted after Zaidpour hammered Pineau De Re and Perfect Smile yesterday.

It looks cheap now, as he was cut to as low as 3 to 1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham by Ladbrokes, and Ireland’s champion trainer added: “He was a bit keen at the first few but settled down and I’m delighted with his progress.”

On a hugely prestigious card, with four Grade One contests, Zaidpour’s American owner, Rich Ricci, was also present to see Mikael D’Haguenet make his first start in over a year-and-a-half in the Drinmore Novice Chase, and, after Hurricane Fly proved the red-hot form of the Mullins team, the former star hurdler was a warm 6 to 4 favourite.

As expected, the former Cheltenham and Punchestown Festival winner jumped brilliantly for much of the race but was facing a head-to-head struggle with Jessies Dream when he came down at the final obstacle.

Mikael D’Haguenet jumped the fence perfectly but appeared to slip on landing and handed a first Grade One success to Jessies Dream’s in-form trainer Gordon Elliott.

“His inexperience showed. When push came to shove he didn’t have the experience to jump it at that speed,” Mullins said.

“He jumped super up to then. I just hope his confidence hasn’t been affected and that he learns from it.”

Despite already having an Aintree Grand National success under his belt, Jessies Dream was a first top-flight victory for Elliott who could take a different festive route with the winner, who is owned by former British champion owner David Johnson.

“Timmy (Murphy) said going further will suit him and if we go anywhere at Christmas it might be Kempton for the Feltham Chase. He’ll be a better horse over further,” Elliott said.

The Co Meath-based trainer moved a number of horses to Dundalk racecourse during the recent freeze, and one of them, Toner D’Oudairies, showed the benefits of that when justifying odds-on in the Grade Three Juvenile Hurdle.

“He will make a chaser in time and we’ll see at Christmas if he might be a Triumph horse,” said Elliott.

Mullins and Townend also struck in the Grade Two O’Connell Group Hilly Way Chase when the hugely talented young jockey judged the pace perfectly to deliver the multiple Grade One winner, Golden Silver, over the last and win easily.

“I was afraid he was a bit far back but Paul always felt they were going too fast in front,” said Mullins.

“He knows this horse so well, and he will go to Leopardstown for the Dial-A-Bet Chase again,” added the trainer.

That will mean a clash with Big Zeb and Captain Cee Bee in what could turn out to be a Grade One contest to remember.

However, Edward O’Grady is inclined to bypass that race and isn’t convinced that Tranquil Sea needs another race before Cheltenham’s Ryanair Chase after the horse proved victorious in his first top-flight race over fences in the John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Tranquil Sea led before two out for Andrew McNamara and was too good for J’y Vole and Roberto Goldback.

“There aren’t too many options for him and I don’t know whether or not he will run before the Ryanair,” O’Grady said.

“I ran him in a race too close to Cheltenham last season and we will try and make a better job of it this time. But today was his pre-Christmas plan.”

Yesterday’s attendance of 3,126 was described as “a bit disappointing” by Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe, whose team endured a nightmare two-and-a-half weeks trying to get their “Winter Festival” card run off.

“It is a bit disappointing but the early start (11.50am) didn’t seem to suit some people,” added Roe.

Track authorities express caution in advance of expected cold snap

NO PROBLEMS are expected for today's fixture at Clonmel, but with another cold snap forecast to strike other tracks are keeping their fingers crossed they will avoid the worst of the weather, writes Brian O'Connor.

Navan, in particular, are anxiously staring at the skies with racing scheduled for both days this weekend and the Grade One Navan Novice Hurdle due to be run on Saturday.

Star names, such as the unbeaten Hidden Cyclone, are due to appear in the two-and-a-half- mile feature, but a combination of frost and snow could put paid to hopes of racing.

“We’re in the lap of the gods and it could end up a last-minute decision on Saturday morning. It’s going to be a waiting game,” Navan manager Darren Lawler said.

“The forecasters are telling us we could be at the end of this band of snow on Friday and Saturday or it could just miss us. But temperatures could also get down to minus five or six on Friday night, and if that’s correct then we could be in trouble,” he added.

Navan was raceable yesterday, as was Downpatrick, which is scheduled to see action tomorrow.

“We are quietly hopeful,” manager Richard Lyttle said.

“All this snow might only reach us late on Friday and we’re being told the frost might not be too bad. Hopefully we’ll be able to get away with it.”

Thurles is also due to race on Sunday, but whether that will be able to go ahead may not be known until just hours beforehand.

“Between midnight and four on Sunday morning they are telling us to expect snow showers and temperatures of minus three or minus four,” Thurles manager Pierce Molony reported. “Now, I’ve never seen those two together, but that’s what they’re telling us. So anything is possible.”

Clonmel looks like getting in under the weather wire this afternoon, with manager DJ Histon reporting: “There is no frost here and racing goes ahead.”

That will be good news for Wexford trainer Colm Murphy, who runs Kazal’s half-brother Quito De La Roque in the two-and-a-half-mile Beginners Chase. This one was doubly declared, but was taken out of Fairyhouse’s Drinmore yesterday with the stewards’ permission.

The two-mile Beginners Chase looks a competitive heat, but the in-form Gordon Elliott supplies Tharawaat, who chased home Thegreatjohnbrowne on his fencing debut.