Ireland's National Hunt festival finally gets under way at the first of its new homes for 2001 and the estimated 40,000 race fans expected over the coming three days will bring with them even more than the usual uncertainty about what to back.
It's not just race fans either. The star novice Ned Kelly, which had been on many shortlists as a Cheltenham banker six weeks ago, takes on five opponents in the featured Grade One hurdle but even his trainer, Edward O'Grady, is unsure about how Ned Kelly will fare after over two months away from action.
"I had him trained almost to the minute for Cheltenham. Since then we've been stopping and starting, letting them down and bringing them up, and it's quite possible we've lost the plot with this horse. I just don't know.
"He seems terribly well, looks terribly well and has been working terribly well but the bottom line is we just don't know. I had been training him specifically for the day at Cheltenham and with horses like that you can think twice about running them again because the chances are they can go off the boil or over the top.
"Having said that, the horse looks in very good order and fingers crossed we're hoping for the best. But I will be very relieved if he can get through," O'Grady said yesterday.
The foot-and-mouth precautions that racegoers have got to know over the past eight days will be in place again at the Co Meath track which expects over 10,000 people to attend today and 15,000 each on Wednesday and Thursday.
"We will be racing on our winter ground which has benefited from the two month's rest it has got and our festival ground has been put away for the next meeting in May," said Dick Sheil, the Fairyhouse manager.
He added: "A transferred meeting loses a certain level of support and there will always be detractors but our festival atmosphere will just be different. There is real excitement here and everyone is endeavouring to put on as good a show as possible."
There is no question Ned Kelly being a pivotal star today but besides the concerns about him remaining in top shape after a long season, he also has some quality opposition in the £65,000 Winning Fair Champion Novice Hurdle.
Joe Cullen won the only race that Ned Kelly has been beaten in, last season's Cheltenham bumper, and carries an unbeaten record after his track win on unsuitably soft ground. Along with the Pierse winner Grinkov, Joe Cullen looks the main danger to Ned Kelly but an unsettled weather forecast and ground already forecast as "soft" will make it difficult for him against the favourite.
The other Grade One contest is the Irish Independent Chase where the lack of UK runners is most noticeable considering the visitors have landed the two-mile event for the last three years.
Micko's Dream got the best of Ferbet Junior at Gowran last Wednesday but the front running grey is back to the minimum trip now and that should give Jessica Harrington's runner the edge this time.
Sackville is on a six-timer in the Fighting Blindness Novice Chase and has frightened most worthwhile opposition away but those looking for a quick start at slightly better odds should look no further than Darapour who has had an encouraging Cork run to set him right for the Ratoath Hurdle.
