Macs Joy is set to venture over the minimum two-mile trip for just the second start in his career at Fairyhouse on Sunday when Jessica Harrington's multiple Grade One winner will represent the "old guard" against some rising stars in the Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle.
Just a dozen entries remain in the €85,000 winter festival highlight after yesterday's forfeit stage and the hugely promising champion novice Glencove Marina will make his first start of the season, along with the star mare Sweet Kiln who will attempt to continue the remarkable record of the Bowe family.
Along with Noel Meade's highly-rated Aitmatov, they represent a new generation of potential top hurdlers who will attempt to burst onto the Grade One winning scene. However, in Macs Joy they face a major test against one of the leading names of the hurdling game in Ireland.
A runner-up placing to Brave Inca in the 2006 Champion Hurdle was sandwiched between wins in the 2004 AIG Irish Champion Hurdle and last year's Punchestown Champion event in which Macs Joy had other illustrious contemporaries such as Hardy Eustace and Harchibald behind him.
After a comparatively low-key 2006-07 season, Macs Joy reappeared with a Morgiana third behind Jazz Messenger and it was confirmed yesterday he will now step up to two and a half miles for the first time since the Aintree Hurdle two and a half years ago.
"The plan is for Macs Joy to run on Sunday. As long as the ground is safe, the going shouldn't be an issue," said a spokesperson for Harrington yesterday. "Hide The Evidence will also run in the race and probably also Studmaster, although he would like the ground to be soft."
With the Cheltenham bumper winner Cork All Star also an intended starter in the first of Sunday's triple Grade One programme, the Bar-One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, it will be a big weekend for the Harrington team.
The going at Fairyhouse is currently "yielding" and although up to 12mms of rain is expected today, with showers forecast for the rest of the week, there is little danger of a similar deluge to last year when the Hatton's Grace and the Drinmore Chase had to be postponed to the following Wednesday due to heavy ground.
"At the moment it is perfect jumping ground and if the forecast is correct, I couldn't see us being worse than yielding to soft," reported Fairyhouse's manager, Caroline Grey, yesterday.
That will be good news for the Willie Mullins team who are preparing Glencove Marina for just the fourth start of his career over jumps. Last season's champion novice hurdle winner at Punchestown will be joined by his Cheltenham festival winning stable mate Ebaziyan in Sunday's big race. "The plan at the moment is that both will run. They worked on Monday and it was pleasing enough. But I don't know what the jockey situation is yet as both Ruby (Walsh) and Davy (Condon) are unavailable," said Mullins yesterday. "Glencove Marina's inexperience would have to be a big concern but he seems alright at the moment and is in good form," he added.
Cork All Star looks to dominate the 15-strong entry remaining in the Royal Bond and is a 7 to 4 ante-post favourite with Cashmans. But it appears to be a more open story in the Drinmore in which the Fortria winner French Accordion looks like running rather than taking in Saturday's Hennessy at Newbury.
"It's more than likely we'll stay at home for the Drinmore but we wouldn't run if it came up very soft," said French Accordion's trainer Paul Nolan. "It's a big step up to Grade One company but he seems in good form and we hope he can make the leap."
Europe's champion two-year-old New Approach has been bought outright by Sheikh Mohammed but will continue to be trained in 2008 by Jim Bolger.
Meanwhile, champion racehorse Dylan Thomas has arrived in Hong Kong for Sunday week's $1.8 million Cathay Vase. It will be his last start before beginning a stallion career at Coolmore Stud.
