APPLE’S Jade will have to beat an extraordinarily deep field if she is to win next Sunday’s Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, sponsored by Bar One Racing, at Fairyhouse for the third time in a row.

Her old rival Benie Des Dieux is an intended runner in the Grade 1 race, as is the up-and-coming Honeysuckle, who is unbeaten in four starts at Fairyhouse.

Apple’s Jade won the 2017 edition in a thriller against Vroum Vroum Mag, while last year she romped to an easy success. However, the mare failed to reproduce her best form last spring and has plenty to prove after being beaten on her seasonal reappearance at Navan recently.

Next Sunday’s two-and-a-half-mile race is also the target for the long-absent Penhill and stable companion Barcadys, who defeated Apple’s Jade at Navan. Penhill has not raced sinced April 2018.

The in-form Davids Charm will be a lively outsider for the John Joe Walsh stable.

On the same card, the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle looks set to be headlined by Champion Bumper winner Envoi Allen. Gordon Elliott’s charge made an impressive winning debut over hurdles at Down Royal this month. At Fairyhouse he will be joined by exciting stablemate Abracadabras, who made a very favourable impression in a Grade 3 at Navan recently.

Gigginstown House Stud, owners of Abracadabras, may also be represented in the Royal Bond by the Joseph O’Brien-trained pair of Embittered (won at Naas) and Midnight Run (won at Cork).

Peter Fahey is likely to run Soviet Pimpernel, who lost out narrowly at the Cheltenham October meeting.

Gigginstown domination

Gigginstown have dominated the Drinmore Novice Chase in the last decade and all eyes next Sunday will be on their Samcro, who made a sparkling chasing debut at Down Royal. He may well be joined by stablemate Champagne Classic, who is also held in high regard. Connections won this last year with Delta Work.

Willie Mullins plans to run recent Naas winner Tornado Flyer and he has also entered recent Cork Grade 3 winner Brahma Bull.

Pump supplement

Local trainer Matthew Smith told The Irish Field yesterday that he plans to spend €8,000 to supplement Ronald Pump, who won a valuable handicap hurdle at the Easter Festival and returned to Fairyhouse this month to win a beginners’ chase impressively.

However, they will all have to give weight to the four-year-old Fakir D’oudairies, who put up an electric display at Navan two weeks ago when accounting for Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon in a Navan beginners chase. Fakir D’oudairies represents the Joseph O’Brien-J.P. McManus combination, who were responsible for last year’s Drinmore runner-up Le Richebourg.

Ahead of the two-day Winter Festival, Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe said: “This is a meeting which always looks after itself in terms of quality. The only race on Sunday’s card which is not a graded race is the bumper, and that was won last year by Envoi Allen. We are very happy with the ground, which has taken the recent rain well. It’s currently yielding, yielding to soft in places.”