Wednesday’s Graded Action at Fairyhouse

There is a precautionary inspection set for 8 am today at Fairyhouse and, if racing gets the go-ahead, we can expect heavy ground and the final three hurdles to be island hurdles, placed away from the inside rails for better ground. It could complicate things a bit but there is some genuinely intriguing racing set to unfold.

A pair of Grade 2 contests anchors the card and the 2:05 opener is the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle which goes 2m. Fearless Falcon has been knocking on the door at graded level for quite a while after stepping up following a victory at Thurles back in October. He’s finished on the board without winning in his past four contests and this includes a third-place finish at Fairyhouse when sent off at 14/1. The race sets up fairly nicely for him and he could be set to make a real statement here.

Little Green takes a big step up from the maiden circuit and he’s got some relatively encouraging second place finishes in recent months but just looks a bit out of his depth. Accidental Outlaw will definitely take some money and the JP McManus-owned four year-old put in a second place finish in a Grade 2 contest at Leopardstown in late December. Unraced since then he could get the result after a freshening.

At 3:45 Vic Venturi returns to Fairhouse to defend his score in the Grade 2 Bobbyjo Chase which goes 3m1f. He goes off as a co-top-weight and could enjoy a face-off against some lighter company as his only two efforts since a disappointing UR in the Grand National saw him finish 7^th both times. Those races were against quality contenders though and, no disrespect to the field here intended, he will be a real factor if he runs to potential.

The Midnight Club has only been out once so far this year but he acquitted himself well against Siegemaster last time out and will be coming into this one in good form. Siegemaster is actually entered here as the other top weight and that was his first victory in quite some time – so you reckon he looks beatable here. Oscar Time was a 4/1 beaten favourite last time out and he could factor if things go his way.