Racing: The triple-heroine Solerina may no longer be around to dominate tomorrow's Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, but her successor in the role of Ireland's super mare, Asian Maze, can make sure the fairer sex remains the centre of attention at the hugely valuable winter festival.
Only five line up for the €100,000 feature, just one of three Grade One prizes on the card, including the champion hurdler Brave Inca, who was beaten in 2004 and 2005 by Solerina, and he may just be about the only one at Fairyhouse that won't be missing the James Bowe-trained star.
Solerina is now retired, but her three-in-a-row only added to a remarkable streak of Grade One success enjoyed by the Bowe family, whose other stable star, Limestone Lad, was also a triple Hatton's Grace winner. In fact, only Youlneverwalkalone's interruption in 2000 spoiled a winning run that even that horse's owner, JP McManus, could hardly dare dream of at the top-level.
Considering even the mighty Istabraq was beaten here seven years ago, and Brave Inca can't seem to show his best in it, only emphasises the unique test the Hatton's Grace provides at this time of year with two-and-a-half miles on testing conditions.
But the good news for Asian Maze fans who have backed her ante-post to as low as 4 to 6 is that it looks an ideal opportunity for the Tom Mullins-trained star.
"Two-and-a-half does seem to be her ideal distance at the moment and she has been in very good form since the Morgiana," Mullins reports.
Despite being officially rated 9lb inferior to Brave Inca, it's not hard to row along with Mullins, especially since Brave Inca was behind her in the Morgiana and his trainer, Colm Murphy, is not sure the teak-tough champion is entirely in love with Fairyhouse.
"I don't know whether it's Fairyhouse, or the ground, but he never seems to act around the place," admitted Murphy, who added it may be the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas before Brave Inca hits peak fitness.
With Al Eile possibly on the verge of a chasing career and Rosaker at his best over longer, it looks a perfect opportunity for Asian Maze to keep the girls in front.
There could be some each way value in believing the same for the Drinmore Novices Chase, where Gazza's Girl can make up for a rather silly mistake on her last start at Clonmel.
The hot favourite looked to copy the mistake of a faller in front of her and gave jockey Andrew Leigh little chance of staying on board. Before that, however, she had won impressively at Galway, and although she would probably be better over three miles, the conditions at Fairyhouse look sure to be testing and she is a double course winner.
Of the opposition, Blueberry Boy was only 50-50 to run during the week, and O'Muircheartaigh has looked a quirky type in the past. Conditions could be too testing for Mossbank, and so a bigger threat could come from the supplementary entry King Johns Castle.
In contrast, the Bar-One Racing Royal Bond Hurdle looks relatively straightforward on the back of some supremely impressive performances by Clopf, who trainer Edward O'Grady describes as being an extremely slick jumper for a novice.
Any young jumper that impresses O'Grady like that has to be out of the ordinary, and although Robert Tyner's West Cork team are in form, and field Askthemaster here, it will be a surprise if Clopf doesn't retain his position as one of the ante-post favourites for Cheltenham's Supreme.
Perce Rock, an expensive McManus purchase before running a most encouraging race in the Cheltenham bumper, misses out on the Royal Bond in favour of the maiden hurdle and will be fancied to beat a big field.
Rhacophorus, winner of the Aintree bumper, is another interesting newcomer in this.
The course winner The Royal Dub can defy a penalty in the handicap hurdle.
