Fairyhouse Easter festival expected to be run on heavy ground this weekend

This weekend's three-day Easter festival at Fairyhouse is "almost certain" to be run on heavy ground with the forecast unsettled until Friday.

Preliminary entries were revealed on Tuesday afternoon for the first two days of the festival, with Sunday's Grade 1s attracting notable fields despite Cheltenham Festival winners Fact To File, Corbetts Cross and Gaelic Warrior being scratched.

Gordon Elliott has Arkle runner-up Found A Fifty in contention for the Grade 1 WillowWarm Gold Cup on Sunday (4.55) when he could renew rivalry with the Willie Mullins-trained Il Etait Temps, who finished third behind him at Cheltenham. Spillane's Tower is an intriguing entry for Jimmy Mangan.

Brighterdaysahead could bid to avenge her festival defeat in the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares' Novice Hurdle (2.35) for Elliott alongside stablemate Kala Conti. Mullins has 11 entries including Jade De Grugy, who finished fourth in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. Britain has two contenders in the Fergal O'Brien-trained Springtime Promise, a Grade 2 winner at Sandown last time, and Victoria Milano for Alastair Ralph.

Brighterdaysahead: could step up to Grade 1 company on SundayCredit: Patrick McCann

Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe said: "The ground is heavy and we have fresh ground for each day. The weather is more unsettled over the next few days but there's nothing of biblical proportions coming. I can't see it drying it out too much but at the same time it shouldn't get much worse. 

"We're looking at a wet day on Thursday but Friday, Saturday and Sunday are looking a bit better. We know we're going to have heavy ground, that's almost a certainty.

"The Honeysuckle Mares' Novices' Hurdle looks a cracking renewal and the WillowWarm Gold Cup is a very interesting race with the placed horses from the Arkle in there along with Spillane's Tower and Blood Destiny. There's a very good cross-section of races over the three days."

The €500,000 BoyleSports Irish Grand National (5.00) on Monday is the showpiece of the festival but the race, which has a maximum of 30 runners, has only 33 horses in contention prior to the confirmation stage. The 3m5f contest has attracted at least 25 runners each year since 2009 and Roe feels the potential reduction in field size is partly due to the testing ground.

He said: "I think there's a number of factors. The ground at Cheltenham was heavy this year and means the horses won't have bounced back as quickly. Normally you'd have an Irish National on yielding to soft so you'd have the good ground and heavy ground horses running, but this year the ground is going to be heavy so those who prefer good ground are out of the equation. However, it's still a high-quality race.

"Interest in the festival has been strong. Hospitality is completely booked out for Saturday and Monday and there's limited availability on Sunday. There has been great demand. We could have four or five British runners across Sunday and Monday, which is great."

Read more . . .

Who are the star names entered for days one and two of Fairyhouse's Easter meeting? 

'Top-class' Harry Cobden booked as Noble Yeats bids to match Red Rum feat in Grand National  

Harry Derham to break new ground by saddling runner on Irish Grand National card at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday 

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