It may be midweek but there's nothing mundane about this afternoon's Fairyhouse fixture, where the potential star novice Colonel Braxton takes his first steps over fences.
Unbeaten over hurdles last season but deprived of a tilt at the SunAlliance Hurdle, Colonel Braxton is already a 10 to 1 shot for the SunAlliance Chase with Cashmans and it will be a major surprise if he doesn't win today.
"He won't be 100 per cent fit but he should be ready to do himself justice, and he certainly has enough bottle for the job," trainer Dessie Hughes reported yesterday.
Courage, allied to a real touch of class, was the hallmark of the John Magnier-owned star over hurdles, and he wound up defeating Be My Royal and Risk Accessor in a Grade One at the Co Meath track last April. Fences have always been his ultimate target, however.
"We're thinking of him as a SunAlliance horse and we'll hardly go back in trip with him for the Dennys at Christmas. Instead, he'll probably run in the Neville Chase on the 29th - all going well," Hughes added.
Colonel Braxton isn't the only star novice over fences, as the former SunAlliance Hurdle runner up No Discount goes in the later beginners' chase over three miles.
Now in the care of Ted Walsh, No Discount hasn't run since May of last year but mixed it successfully with the top novice hurdlers of the 99-00 season and wound up second to Monsignor at Cheltenham and Sackville at Aintree.
Beechcourt has his first start since a scintillating bumper debut in January and is being kept to the level by Michael O'Brien. Well fancied for the bumper at Cheltenham until foot-and-mouth intervened, Beechcourt will be the focus of attention in the last.
The form of Davenport Milenium's narrow hurdles win will be put to the test in the maiden, as Canary Wharf, third to him 10 days ago, comes back to Fairyhouse with what looks a clear winning chance.
