Hattons Grace Hurdle 2012

[Guest]

Hattons Grace Hurdle - Winner**2012-12-02

La Vedette (9/4), Thousand Stars (3), Monksland (5), Zaidpour (6), Staying Article (7), So Young (9), Trifolium (12), Si CEtait Vrai (25)

[Lester]

Fat Jockey Stats http://www.fatjockey.com/festivals/r...rdle-Stats-114

[mayo]

Evergreen mare Voler La Vedette returns to defend her crown after defeating the Willie Mullins-trained Mourad in this last year. This year she is faced with Zaidpour and So Young from the same yard, together with an upwardly mobile Monksland from Noel Meade.

Winner of more than 50 per cent of her 25 career starts, she gave the awesome Big Buck's a big fright in Cheltenham's World Hurdle in March. Yet she conspired to get beaten at odds of 1/7 on her seasonal bow at Navan three weeks ago. Zaidpour has a win over Colm Murphy's mare to his credit when given a tactically astute ride at Gowran on Thyestes day in January. I could see it being similarly tactical today.

[mayo]

2.40 Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle (2m 4f)

Last year's heroine Voler La Vedette would be the clear pick at her best, but she has since sandwiched two commendable defeats between two tame odds-on reversals.

Zaidpour and So Young go well in the ground. Zaidpour won the big novice here two years ago, and was a fine second to Hurricane Fly at Punchestown in the spring.

Monksland is the one that has the scope to prove a real force in Grade Ones. His only defeat last term came when a luckless third behind the high-class Simonsig at Cheltenham. He didn't beat much on his Down Royal return, but did so nicely.

Verdict: With ground and trip to suit, the progressive Monksland gets the nap vote.

[mayo]

Owner thrilled with Fairyhouse win as Mullins aims horse at Cheltenham

"IT WAS nice to get a Grade One win with him outside of novice company - he deserved it," were the thoughts of American owner Rich Ricci after Zaidpour won the Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse yesterday.

A look back on Zaidpour's form makes that point hard to argue with. Since winning the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle on the same card two years ago, Zaidpour has won four - three Grade Twos - and finished second four times.

First Lieutenant, Oscars Well, Hurricane Fly and Thousand Stars are a fair bunch of horses to finish second to and any beast could be forgiven for coming up short against such a selection over the space of a couple of seasons.

"I think the ground has to be fairly soft for us to be thinking about taking on Big Buck's at Cheltenham, though," Ricci added. "I am being realistic."

Not entirely surprising is the fact that Zaidpour has only got good ground when visiting the Cotswolds for the last two years and those two occasions are two of just three runs where he finished out of the first two over hurdles.

Therefore, Ricci's belief that he could put it up to the best jump horse around on softer conditions may be realistic, although the chances of getting his ideal ground at Cheltenham are not so.

He is nothing if not consistent and his owner was bang on the money. He did deserve that Grade One yesterday as he was undoubtedly the best horse in the race and no excuses could be offered for those around him.

Dizzy

In second place, Monksland ran a blinder on just his second outing out of the novice ranks, while Voler La Vedette in third is probably just not reaching the dizzy heights of previous seasons, although this is the second time Zaidpour has beaten her.

Winning trainer Willie Mullins added to Hurricane Fly's victory in the race two years ago, and admitted: "I'd imagine we will go the World Hurdle route at Cheltenham.

"He is a horse who has shown that he is good enough to run, and run well, over two miles, but also has the stamina to run over three miles, and two and a half is probably his ideal trip. Himself and Thousand Stars are probably in the same bracket."

A war against his more glittering stable companion Hurricane Fly over the festive season is unlikely but Mullins did say: "He'll be entered in all those races, but I doubt he will take on Hurricane Fly."

Boylesports gave Zaidpour a 16/1 intro into the World Hurdle, while Paddy Power traders felt what they saw warranted Big Buck's being cut from 1/1 into 4/5 for the same race.