RACING: Solerina continues to give all the right signals ahead of Sunday's Ballymore Properties Hatton's Grace Hurdle as the star mare aims to extend the James Bowe team's remarkable record in the Fairyhouse highlight.
Last year's victory for Solerina added to Limestone Lad's treble (1999-2001-2002) and leaves the small permit holding stable on the verge of a fifth success in six years in the Grade One race.
Her cause was helped yesterday when only six horses were left in and one of those was her stable companion Florida Coast who was runner-up 12 months ago.
The other four entries include the Cheltenham winner Brave Inca, the 2003 Aintree Hurdle hero Sacundai and last season's French Champion Hurdle and SunAlliance Chase winner Rule Supreme. The opposition, however, will not include the reigning champion hurdler Hardy Eustace who scoped badly after working yesterday morning.
"There was mucus in the tracea. He looks fine, and worked well, but we can't run him," said trainer Dessie Hughes. "If he recovers quickly there is a race at Navan on December 12th (Giltspur Scientific Hurdle) that he could run in before Christmas."
In contrast Solerina's most recent bit of work on Monday was just what James Bowe's son, Michael, wanted to see. "As usual she worked like her usual useless self!" laughed Bowe yesterday.
"She doesn't do anything at home and that's just her. At this stage I know her and just let her do her own thing. Her brother (Florida Coast) works all over her but it seems like he loses confidence on the racecourse."
Despite the prospect of a small field, Bowe is taking nothing for granted and said: "Solerina will have to be at the top of her game to beat the likes of Sacundai and Brave Inca.
"Sacundai was second in the Morgiana last year, ahead of us, so it being his first run back won't bother him at all. We'll have to be in top form to win.
"It will be a tough race but numbers wise it must be disappointing for everyone connected with the race. But that's the way with racing in this country. In a maiden hurdle or a bumper there will be divides and ballots and everything else."
The Fairyhouse manager, Dick Sheil, was disappointed with the numbers of entries for both the Hatton's Grace and the Grade One Pierse Group Drinmore Chase which has just seven horses left in. "I'm sure each trainer will have a very good reason for not entering, but it is disappointing," he said.
"We have record value races with the help of our sponsors and then this happens after what was a very healthy initial entry."
Last season's leading novice Brave Inca has been installed as the main danger to Solerina in the ante-post betting and his trainer Colm Murphy said yesterday that his run behind Mac's Joy at Down Royal has brought the horse on.
"He has definitely come on for it and we couldn't be happier. He won his first hurdle over two and a half miles so I'm not worried about the trip but we're under no illusions. It will be a hell of a good race. Solerina will do her usual thing but no one is going to let her off so we will have a true run race which will suit us," Murphy said.
Murphy, who's runner is a general 10 to 1 shot for the Champion Hurdle in March, added: "All being well this weekend, we will probably go for the two-mile hurdle in Leopardstown at Christmas, then the Irish Champion Hurdle before heading to Cheltenham.
"I'm still open-minded about which race he will run in there but everything will be geared towards the Champion Hurdle, although we will have to see what he does in between."
The low turn-out for the Drinmore includes three horses from the Noel Meade stable. Mark The Man is the most likely Meade starter with Watson Lake likely to be kept for two-mile races. Michael O'Brien has Forget The Past for the €90,000 race.
A total of 13 entries are left in Sunday afternoon's other Grade One pot, the Betfair Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and last season's Cheltenham bumper heroine Total Enjoyment has been installed a 7 to 4 favourite by Cashmans to make it two from two over jumps.
The ground at Fairyhouse is currently "soft" on both the chase and hurdles tracks with little change expected by the weekend. There is a chance of some rain on Saturday but Sunday is forecast to be dry.
