NOEL MEADE will be heavily involved in four Grade One races this weekend but while testing conditions are assured at Fairyhouse the former champion trainer will be praying for very different ground at Newcastle ahead of Harchibald's attempt on a remarkable hat-trick.
It is four years since the enigmatic star first won the wbx.com "Fighting Fifth" Hurdle but Harchibald will lead a strong Irish team into Saturday's €119,000 feature as he tries to add to last year's triumph.
Alongside the former champion hurdler Sublimity and the Ado McGuinness-trained Beau Michael, Harchibald is part of an Irish challenge that faces the current 6 to 5 ante-post favourite Punjabi who will be ridden by the in-form Barry Geraghty.
Ground conditions at Newcastle are currently just on the soft side of good which leaves Meade with his fingers crossed. "He's in great form and the whole question is the going. If it is good he will have a good chance; if not we have no chance," he said yesterday. "It's probably as good a race as we've had over there with Punjabi and Sublimity in there as well."
Sublimity will be a first ever runner for new trainer Robbie Hennessy who has taken over the 2006 champion hurdler from his former handler John Carr. Hennessy reports a welcome trouble-free run into the "Fighting Fifth".
"Last year he had a bit of bad luck and got cast in his box which set him back a few weeks. He also had mucus on his lungs. It was a bad year for him," he said. "He ran a cracker in the Champion Hurdle and going to the last I thought he was going to win. The rain that morning didn't help and with his preparation not one hundred per cent it just told in the end."
Meade's attention will then turn to Fairyhouse's triple Grade One fixture on Sunday where Aran Concerto is a short favourite with most bookmakers to make it two from two over fences in the Bar One Drinmore Novices Chase.
"This is a big step up for him. He was off for a long time and his first run back was an ordinary race. He won it well but he did get tired. We're coming back three weeks later and I hope that's enough time. He's probably a better horse on better ground than he will get on Sunday but he is in good shape," Meade said yesterday.
The Co Meath trainer won two of the three top races at the winter festival last year and the Royal Bond hero Muirhead will join the Hatton's Grace winner Aitmatov in another crack at the main hurdle on Sunday. "Muirhead's only defeat came at the Cheltenham Festival when he didn't settle or feed well. But he has been very good back here," Meade reported. "He needed his first run back at Navan very badly. Hopefully he will come on for it."
Donnas Palm and Fisher Bridge are the Meade hopefuls for this year's Royal Bond which could end up being dominated by Willie Mullins' champion bumper horse Cousin Vinny. The Cheltenham and Punchestown winner was as low as 6 to 4 favourite in ante-post betting for the race but was removed by Cashmans from their betting in the face of sustained support for his stable companion Hurricane Fly. Runner-up in last June's Grade Prix Alain Du Breil at Auteuil, Hurricane Fly is an intended Royal Bond starter after pleasing Mullins in a work out earlier this week and is now a 9 to 4 joint favourite with Cashmans alongside the Meade hope, Donnas Palm.
