Irish Grand National meeting Day One: Our expert tips…

Irish Grand National meeting Day One: Our expert tips for Fairyhouse

Odds-on favourite Allegorie De Vassy, outpointed by Impervious at Cheltenham, should return to winning ways in the listed BoyleSports Mares Novice Chase on the opening day of the Fairyhouse Easter meeting.

This exciting, six-year-old mare has won four of her five starts since joining Willie Mullins, her two hurdles win including the Grade 3 ‘Solerina’ here last year, when beating classy stable-companion Brandy Love.

Significantly, the daughter of No Risk At All, who had always looked a future chaser, was pitched into Grade 2 company for her fencing bow at Limerick over Christmas and delivered in style, overcoming a couple of minor blips at the last two fences on the way to beating last week’s Ulster National winner Malina Girl by nineteen lengths.

Allegorie De Vassy followed-up at Thurles in January, almost unseating Paul Townend at the first before stamping her class on the race and slamming subsequent winner Brides Hill by nineteen lengths.

The Closutton mare was sent off 13/8 favourite for the Grade 2 Mares Chase at Cheltenham when, ridden with greater restraint, she came through to lead at the final fence before being outbattled by ultra-tough Impervious up the hill, going down by two and a half lengths.

Dropping into listed company today, Allegorie De Vassy will face nothing of that calibre and, expected to be ridden more positively than in Cheltenham, she should prove a cut above her six rivals, with Limerick Lace, rated 9lb. inferior and receiving 8lb., the main threat.

The Low.ie Hunters Chase will feature an intriguing clash with the Mullins-trained veteran Billaway, without the headgear he has ridden in recent starts, and David Christie’s exciting and unexposed six-year-old Ferns Lock.

The pair met at Thurles in late June when, although Billaway was reportedly in need of the run, Ferns Lock bolted-up by twenty lengths, when receiving 3lb. from his rival.

Ferns Lock had earlier beaten Cheltenham runner-up Its On The Line at this venue back in November and, last time, never came out of second gear when beating Lough derg Spirit in the ‘Tetratema’ at Gowran Park.

Billaway, who registered a fourth straight win in a ‘hunters’ at Naas in February, seemed to be struggling when falling at the tenth in Cheltenham when bidding for back-to-back wins in what used to be the ‘Foxhunters’. And he’s unlikely to cope with rising star Ferns Lock here.

The familiar McManus colours should figure prominently in the graded handicaps on today’s card, on Pat Foley’s hat-trick-seeking Verdant Place in the three-mile novice handicap and the Mullins-trained four-year-old Risk Belle, who might reverse Cheltenham form with Jazzy

Matty and cope with older rivals in the RYBO Handicap Hurdle.