Fairyhouse preview: Hedgehunter used last year's Osmosis Ireland Bobbyjo Chase as a warm-up for that memorable Grand National triumph and today the Gold Cup outsider Forget The Past tries to book his Cheltenham place in the same Grade Two contest at Fairyhouse.
A field of nine line up but with Forget The Past officially rated a stone clear of his nearest rival, the Aintree hope Garvivonnian, it does look to be all about Michael O'Brien's horse.
There was plenty to like about the way Forget The Past forged clear of Jim at Gowran last weekend and a similar performance will see most of the general 33 to 1 available for the festival disappear.
The Grade Three Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle looks a much more competitive prospect, however, and there will be plenty of interest in the second jumping start of Dermot Weld's smart flat horse Bob's Pride.
Despite finishing only fifth on his debut behind Vintage Gold at Leopardstown Bob's Pride remains a 25 to 1 shot for the Triumph Hurdle while a horse like the Gowran winner First Row is at 33 to 1. Weld should have got significant improvement out of his hope for that first run in eight months but First Row is a tough operator who looks to have adapted well to his new career.
The most valuable contest on the card is the €65,000 novice handicap final but despite a strong field it's hard to get away from Gazza's Girl as a likely winner.
Jessica Harrington's mare won over two and a half miles here and then carried an 8lb penalty to success at Leopardstown.
Gazza's Girl raced that day like this three miles would actually suit her and there was enough in the performance to suggest another 8lb hike won't stop her notching up a hat-trick.
In Compliance hasn't run in 10 months but some of his novice form over hurdles was high class. The Pertemps winner Oulart put in the best of four starts over fences at Naas last time but if In Compliance is near his best he will be hard to beat.
Contact Dancer is on a decent weight in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle and looks one to tackle the prolific Good Thyne Jack with.
