The Ladbroke New Stand Handicap at Fairyhouse today serves notice that almost £10 million has been expended on a luxurious facelift to the home of the Irish Grand National. Although Fairyhouse was once solely identified in the public mind with its Easter Monday spectacular, it now boasts this two-day pre-Christmas festival when 50 per cent of the events are graded races.
Stars abound and J P McManus will be hoping that Yeoman's Point will show that he is indeed a young star of the future. Without ever jumping a hurdle in public, he is favourite for Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle. Like Istabraq he, too, is by Sadler's Wells, and in the current flat season he was never out of the first two in his four Irish starts.
The single unplaced run in his three-year-old score sheet came at Capannelle in May when he was 7th of 13 to Godolphin's Mukhalif in the Italian Derby.
In an average year the Italian Derby is not a premier league classic but, even so, few horses that are beaten less than nine lengths in it are to be found competing in a juvenile hurdle.
This, though, is a Grade Three affair and quite an ambitious introduction. However, at a difference of 9lb, Yeoman's Point should be capable of ending the he unbeaten National Hunt record of Fable, who is bidding for a four-timer.
Noel Meade is currently at the top of the National Hunt trainers' table and his Frozen Groom has Country Flavour to worry about in the Ladbroke sponsorship. Frozen Groom won by a snug margin over Take Five at Punchestown while Country Flavour showed how much he had improved when cantering in a nine-length winner from Cirvin at Cork.
Arthur Moore may enhance his course record with a double through Glenelly Gale and Kadouko.
Glenelly Gale was second to Asklynn over hurdles here, while Kadouko was runner-up to Call Me Dara over fences at Clonmel.
Dr Torus is napped in the bumper. At Roscommon, he dead-heated with Hugo De Perro for second place behind Commedia. But when the pair met again at Gowran Park, Dr Torus showed just how much progress he had made by not merely winning the contest but now having Hugo De Perro nine and a half lengths behind in fifth place.
