Fairyhouse preview:Everyone's anticipation of the upcoming Cheltenham Festival may be intensifying by the day but the focus on Snowy Morning at Fairyhouse this afternoon will be through a Grand National lense as Willie Mullins sends the Aintree favourite down a proven route to the world's most famous steeplechase.
The presence of Snowy Morning's stable companion Hedgehunter in the Grade Two At The Races Bobbyjo Chase is a timely reminder of how he used today's race as a final prep before his own memorable Aintree victory in 2005.
The veteran is on track for another Aintree return in April but most interest this time will be on his four-year-younger stablemate who is already as low as 7 to 1 to score over the big fences. His followers can take heart from how Mullins also won last year's Bobbyjo with Homer Wells and from an upbeat bulletin on Snowy Morning yesterday.
Only a mistake at the third last looked to cost him second to The Listener in the Hennessy earlier this month and the trainer reported: "I was quite pleased with his run considering he didn't have an ideal preparation, running in hurdles before racing against horses that had been racing in Grade One's all season. But he put in a very good performance."
Mullins also confirmed that today's race is set to be the final one before Aintree for both his National contenders and said: "Snowy Morning probably won't run at Cheltenham. If all goes well, this will be their last run before Liverpool."
Both Mullins horses are top rated in today's feature and while the Powers Gold Cup winner One Cool Cookie returns to the scene of his greatest triumph, this does look a good opportunity for Snowy Morning to head for Liverpool on a winning note.
Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle is definitely the target for many of those lining up for the afternoon's other Grade Two, the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle, where Beau Michael, available at 25 to 1 for the juvenile festival centrepiece, has to concede a 3lb penalty all round.
The form of the ex-Walter Swinburn trained horse has been boosted significantly by the likes of Personal Column and Siege Of Ennis and he is sure to make a bold bid to make all the running.
A fly in the ointment, however, may be the presence of Temlett who also likes to bowl along in front and in the circumstances it might not be the biggest surprise to see Noel Meade's Silverhand upset the applecart.
Silverhand was a 25 to 1 shot when winning at Punchestown in October where he overcame some very bad interference before the last to run out an impressive winner. The return to form shown by Meade's string this week is also a major plus in Silverhand's favour.
Winning first time up over jumps is a big ask but Anyaab looks an interesting newcomer for Edward O'Grady and Andrew McNamara in the opening maiden hurdle. The ex-Sheikh Hamdan-owned horse had three runs for John Hammond in France in 2006, finishing second in the first of them.
The Irish Cesarewitch winner Sandymount Earl is on a recovery mission today after a very disappointing effort on his last jumping start when finishing almost 70 lengths behind Footy Facts in the Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown but looks worth another chance.
