Fairyhouse Easter Festival: Top tips for the final day

This son of Westerner would have gone very close had he stood on his feet, and Urano has gone on to finish an excellent sixth of 24 to Ibis Du Rheu in the ultra-competitive Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and is now rated 135.

That gives the form a solid look and suggests that an opening mark of 126 for Don’t Tell No One is on the lenient side.

Don’t Tell Non One also remains unexposed and open to further improvement, and with the step up to 3m also expected to suit looks weighted to run a huge race.

Anibale Fly can swat rivals

Anibale Fly was a massive eye-catcher last time out and looks the answer to the Farmhouse Foods Handicap Hurdle (17:05).

The JP McManus owned gelding looked a smart prospect when winning bumpers on his final to starts last season, and confirmed that view when showing a nice turn of foot to make a winning return to action in a maiden hurdle at Navan.

Anibale Fly was then far from disgraced when third to Belshill in a Grade 1 at Naas, and ran far better than the brae result suggests on handicap debut at Leopardstown last month when fourth of 12 to Solia.

The Tony Martin trained six-year-old travelled strongly in the latter, but was given far too much to do before staying on strongly under tender handling to be nearest at the finish and beaten just 1 1/2 lengths.

It was an effort which suggested Anibale Fly had a big race in him, and with the Martin team now in better form the son of Assessor looks the one to beat.

Oscar Knight ready to rise to the occasion

Leading owner McManus looks to have major claims of landing a quick-fire double with Oscar Knight in the Boylesports Handicap Chase (17:35).

The Thomas Mullins trained gelding was a useful hurdler who has taken time to find his feet over the larger obstacles, but has shaped as if coming to the boil in his last two outings.

After finishing a never nearer not knocked about fifth of 15 at Leoparstown, Oscar Knight hinted that his time was near when staying on strongly from a hopeless position to finish runner-up to Kilford at Navan.

Those run suggest that he has been brought along steadily with a big pot like this in mind, and Oscar Knight’s current mark of 109 makes him look potentially dangerously well-treated given that he was rated as high as 118 over hurdles.

Selections

15:20 Pink Coat
16:30 Don’t Tell No One (e/w)
17:05 Anibale Fly (NAP)
17:35 Oscar Knight (NB)
18:05 Sydney Paget
18:35 Laverteen

Related

You’ll find more horse racing tips and previews over on Coral’s dedicated page.