December 01 / 13.35 Fairyhouse

13.35

Yielding

Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)

  • Prize money: £43608.7
  • 2m 0f 110y
  • 8 runners
RTE2
View Course
Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Grade 2)

Runners: 8 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

14/1 (Won)

  • Win: £13.20
  • Place: £1.80

Form: 67-215 D BF

Last run: 65 days

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 138

Form & Verdict
Was winning over hurdles for a second time when taking Kilbeggan novice in August and ran okay in valuable Listowel handicap on ground probably plenty soft; return to better ground may suit but others probably more progressive.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

16

(20)

12th Oct 2025

Yielding

2m 0f 7y

16:20 Naas

Tounsivator

8st 10lb

J: Nicola Burns

T: W P Mullins

Last year's Royal Bond winner returned to the Flat to get third win in this sphere at Tramore in August (1m4f, good to yielding); midfield finish in the Irish Cesarewitch last time; one of two for trainer, but Sorrentino looks the pick of them.

18/1

30

(20)

28th Sep 2025

Good To Yielding

2m 0f 170y

16:22 Curragh

Tounsivator

8st 10lb

J: Shane Foley

T: W P Mullins

One of seven for yard; won the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse last December; returned to the Flat with a 0.75l win at Tramore (12.5f, gd-yld) last month; 7lb higher here and this is a much tougher race but this 6yo can't be discounted.

9/1

3

(10)

16th Aug 2025

Yielding

1m 4f 0y

19:02 Tramore

Tounsivator

10st 2lb

J: Dylan Browne McMonagle

T: W P Mullins

Twice a winner over mid-distances in France before joining Willie Mullins and very capable hurdler (rated 139), winning Grade 2 novice, and most recently good fourth of 19 in Galway Hurdle; potentially thrown in here on Flat return.

Evs

11/10

  • Place: £1.10

Form: 125-1 C

Last run: 29 days

W: 11st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Point-to-point winner for Donnchadh Doyle in 2023, sold for £420,000; coped with a modest gallop that was far from ideal when scoring on his bumper debut at Fairyhouse and put in a spirited effort when second in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham; failed to reproduce that form at Punchestown but reappeared to run away with ordinary 2m1f Down Royal maiden hurdle last month with super round of jumping; potentially high-class novice and Kennedy's pick.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10

11th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

3m 1f 0y

Class 1

14:00 Cheltenham

Romeo Coolio

11st 7lb

J: Jack Kennedy

T: Gordon Elliott

Champion Bumper second and Supreme third at last two Cheltenham Festivals; 4-4 over fences, winning three Grade 1s, but raced lazily in Irish Arkle (2m1f, soft) last time which has brought about this hike in trip; possibly the most talented horse in the race, but the trip is a real unknown and the fitting of a hood suggests even his connections have their doubts.

9/4

1st

2

2nd Feb 2026

Soft To Heavy

2m 1f 0y

14:55 Leopardstown

Romeo Coolio

11st 12lb

J: Jack Kennedy

T: Gordon Elliott

Course Grade 1 novice hurdle winner last season and better in defeat when placed at Cheltenham and Aintree; bright start over fences at Down Royal and beat three-time chase winner Gold Dancer in the 2m4f Drinmore at Fairyhouse; backed that up with a game C&D display win at Christmas; ideally needs further but also capable of high-class form at this trip; looks the part despite slight doubt about how he will handle very testing ground.

8/15

Form: 1

Last run: 115 days

W: 11st 4lb

8 yo Horse

OR:

Form & Verdict
Winner of 14 Flat races on the continent and very easy winner of 2m5f Sligo maiden hurdle on his stable debut (soft) in August; well held twice afterwards in very competitive staying handicaps; appears the lesser likely of the Mullins' quintet.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

24

(3)

28th Sep 2025

Good To Yielding

2m 0f 170y

16:22 Curragh

Plontier

8st 13lb

J: Seamie Heffernan

T: W P Mullins

One of six for yard; dual-purpose sort has won 14 races at up to 1m7f across Europe; won a Sligo maiden hurdle on debut for Willie Mullins but has failed to trouble the judge in either code in five starts since; might have needed his latest run when sixth in the Q.R. handicap at Galway; can't discount.

28/1

11

(10)

28th Jul 2025

Good

2m 0f 179y

18:40 Galway

Plontier

11st 4lb

J: Miss J Townend

T: W P Mullins

Winner of 14 Flat races on the continent; very easy winner of 2m5f Sligo maiden hurdle on his stable debut last August; well held twice afterwards in good staying handicaps on Flat; limitations exposed in high-class novice hurdles.

16/1

5th

3

5th Jan 2025

Soft

2m 4f 0y

13:55 Naas

Plontier

11st 12lb

J: Sean O’Keeffe

T: W P Mullins

Winner of 14 Flat races on the continent; very easy winner of 2m5f Sligo maiden hurdle on his stable debut last August; well held twice afterwards in good staying handicaps on Flat; not a bad run when outsider of the stable's four runners in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse; similar status here.

33/1

Form: 1 D

Last run: 194 days

W: 11st 4lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Won French Listed race on soft as 2yo but has done well on better ground for current yard, winning Punchestown maiden hurdle (jumped novicey) and valuable Flat handicap at Royal Ascot; out of depth in Group 2 at latter venue in October on soft; Townend's pick from five Mullins' runners so entitled to plenty of respect and better ground to suit.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

26th May 2025

Good

2m 2f 72y

16:25 Ballinrobe

Belloccio

11st 8lb

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

Useful Flat performer, six wins, including two Listed and the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, rated 108 at his peak; maiden hurdle winner 12 months ago, best effort when third behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Irancy in a 2m Grade 2 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse at Easter; struggled over a longer tip in a Punchestown Grade 1.

15/8

1

26th May 2025

Good

2m 2f 72y

16:25 Ballinrobe

Belloccio

11st 8lb

J: Paul Townend

T: W P Mullins

Useful Flat performer, six wins, including two Listed and the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, rated 108 at his peak; maiden hurdle winner 12 months ago, best effort when third behind subsequent Grade 1 winner Irancy in a 2m Grade 2 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse at Easter; struggled over a longer tip in a Punchestown Grade 1.

15/8

6th

1

2nd May 2025

Yielding

2m 4f 140y

18:05 Punchestown

Belloccio

11st 12lb

J: Rachael Blackmore

T: W P Mullins

Useful Flat performer who got his act together over hurdles when third (beaten roughly 2l) in the Grade 2 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse last month, form that received a timely form boost on Tuesday with Grade 1 success for Irancy; quite possibly more to come at this trip (half-brother's best form at 2m4f) and not one to put a line through.

33/1

OUR TIP

16/1

Form: -21421 D

Last run: 56 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 132

Form & Verdict
Was scoring for the second time (from six attempts) over hurdles when landing Grade 3 novice at Tipperary last time, appreciating strong pace and decent ground with improved round of jumping; will need to step forward again here though.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

1

(9)

3rd Apr 2026

Standard

1m 2f 42y

Class 2

16:10 Newcastle (AW)

Gaucher

9st 12lb

J: Billy Loughnane

T: W P Mullins

Represents top Irish jumps trainer Willie Mullins; won a Grade 3 hurdle at Tipperary last October and he's posted easy wins on the Dundalk AW on his last two starts (1m4f/10.6f); has a lofty mark to defy now back in a handicap but he may well prove capable in view of his impressive winter form.

3/1

1st

4

(4)

27th Feb 2026

Standard

1m 2f 150y

19:00 Dundalk (AW)

Gaucher

9st 6lb

J: W J Lee

T: W P Mullins

Very smart hurdler, winning Tipperary Grade 3 in October; very keen when fourth on 2m AW debut in November; settled much better when forging clear to win 1m4f course handicap by 6l next time; must have strong credentials again.

7/4

2

31st Jul 2025

Good

2m 0f 11y

16:30 Galway

Gaucher

11st 11lb

J: Sean O’Keeffe

T: W P Mullins

Grade 3 winner at Naas in March before fourth behind stablemate Irancy in Fairyhouse Grade 2; made a lot of the running before fading into fourth in a Listed handicap hurdle at the Punchestown festival; was trying to concede 9lb to the winner Jesse Evans when fourth in a Grade 3 event at Tipperary four weeks ago.

12/1

66/1

Form: P-2331 D

Last run: 14 days

W: 10st 11lb

6 yo Mare

OR: 113

Form & Verdict
Has done well for connections, winning bumper, Flat maiden and most recently a Navan maiden hurdle last month; different class of opposition here though.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

9

2nd Feb 2025

Soft

2m 2f 0y

12:40 Leopardstown

Cast A Spell

10st 11lb

J: Cian Quirke

T: T Hogan

Accounted for Qualimita in a maiden hurdle at Navan in November; stepped up on that when landing a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Cork last month; 6lb is a manageable penalty; each-way chance.

20/1

9th

9

2nd Feb 2025

Soft

2m 2f 0y

12:40 Leopardstown

Cast A Spell

10st 11lb

J: Cian Quirke

T: T Hogan

Accounted for Qualimita in a maiden hurdle at Navan in November; stepped up on that when landing a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Cork last month; 6lb is a manageable penalty; each-way chance.

20/1

1st

3

17th Jan 2025

Soft

2m 4f 0y

14:15 Cork

Cast A Spell

10st 9lb

J: Cian Quirke

T: T Hogan

disputed lead early, soon prominent

3/1

Form: 411926 D

Last run: 15 days

W: 11st 4lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 137

Form & Verdict
By far the most experienced of these as a hurdler, latest of four wins coming in 2m7f Killarney handicap; better again when second at Galway but safely held at Cheltenham latest; surprising if he is good enough here.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12

26th Oct 2025

Yielding

2m 6f 111y

13:25 Galway

Zeeband

11st 12lb

J: Jack G Gilligan

T: Paul John Gilligan

Winner of eight races (four Flat) and four over hurdles between March and June last year; rated a very respectable 136 over hurdles; pulled up before the last on his recent chase debut at Sligo, having made a bad mistake four out; beat watched for the moment.

20/1

9

1st Oct 2025

Good To Yielding

2m 1f 120y

14:25 Sligo

Zeeband

11st 12lb

J: Jack G Gilligan

T: Paul John Gilligan

Dual Flat winner has won four over hurdles, with the last of those coming at Killarney in 2024; well beaten in a Grade 2 novice when last seen; needs to be at his best on chasing debut after a long absence.

16/1

8th

8

1st Dec 2024

Yielding

2m 0f 110y

13:35 Fairyhouse

Zeeband

11st 4lb

J: Jack G Gilligan

T: Paul John Gilligan

soon prominent

20/1

Form: 1 D

Last run: 67 days

W: 11st 4lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Former German Group 3 Flat winner returned from 776-day absence to make a striking debut for yard when hacking up in a maiden hurdle at Listowel (favourite) in September; too keen and didn't get home when joint-favourite for Cesarewitch following month; remains unexposed as a hurdler.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

2

30th Sep 2022

Good

2m 0f 0y

15:17 Gowran Park

Sea Of Sands

11st 12lb

J: Danny Mullins

T: M E Keoghan

in touch with leaders, headway on outer after 3 out, led and ridden from 2 out, kept on well run-in, always doing enough, finished lame (jockey said gelding finished lame)

12/1

Non-runners

Bleu De Vassy

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta €20.40
Straight Forecast €19.56
Trifecta €140.00

Selections

The Irish Sun:

Bleu De Vassy

SPOTLIGHT:

Romeo Coolio

POSTDATA:

Tounsivator

TOPSPEED:

Zeeband