RACING/FAIRYHOUSE PREVIEW:THE VALUE of a successful wind operation was illustrated to great effect by Rathlin on his last visit to Fairyhouse and with that confidence under his belt, the Gigginstown-owned horse can follow up this afternoon.

Mouse Morris’s runner takes on just five in the novice chase but he put in a dominant front-running performance here less than a month ago and looks up to doing the same now.

It’s almost a year since Darwins Fox last started but that was in a Grade Two at Naas where he flopped, only to be found to have a respiratory tract infection afterwards. Henry De Bromhead brings him back today in the conditions hurdle and Darwins Fox can start to deliver on the promise he showed early last season.

Patrick Mullins is on Peking To Paris in the bumper and also The Bosses Cousin in the opening maiden hurdle. The latter returned to action with an impressive win in the Leopardstown bumper over Christmas.

Szabo’s Destiny fell two out in a Gowran hurdle last week but could be worth another shot in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap.

Course inspection

THE Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe is “bullish” about this afternoon’s fixture beating the frost and passing an 8am inspection this morning. Fairyhouse was unfit for racing yesterday and failed an afternoon inspection. But a rise in temperature overnight could be vital in racing going ahead.

“If the forecast is right, I would be bullish about us racing. Temperatures wouldn’t have to rise too much overnight for us to be okay,” Roe said. The two chase contests have been switched to become the final two races.

BRIAN O’CONNOR