Big chance of Elliott making a bit of Fairyhouse history today

With Apple's Jade in the Hattons's Grace Hurdle, Death Duty, Dinaria Des Obeaux and Shattered Love in the Drinmore Novice Chase and Mengli Khan, backed up by Hardline and Morgan in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle it could be another bonanza day for Elliott.

No trainer has managed to win all three races in the same year. Willie Mullins won two of them in 2010, 2012, 2014 and again in 2015, while Noel Meade did likewise in 2004 and 2007 – as did Aidan O'Brien in 1997.

It will be no surprise if Elliott makes a bit of Fairyhouse history today, although there is just the possibility Mullins, the only other trainer represented in all three races, might spoil the party for his great rival . . . again.

Thinking Flat in the Far East

While most of us will be concentrating on the jumping game next weekend – the Tingle Creek Chase, the John Durkan Memorial, the Hilly Way – seeking clues for some of the big handicaps over the Christmas period and more besides, Aidan O’Brien will be focusing on Hong Kong and attempting to end what has been another huge year for Ballydoyle with more Group 1 success on the other side of the world.

Sha Tin is the venue and O’Brien will have five runners there on Sunday including Highland Reel, the biggest money-earner he has trained, who will have what is almost certain to be his final race in the Hong Kong Vase – a race he won in 2015 and finished second in 12 months ago. Another top-level win for the high-class and admirably durable five-year-old would put the seal on what has been a fantastic career.

The six-time Group 1 winner, who has strutted his stuff successfully in Britain, the US and Hong Kong over the past three years, will captain a team that also includes Roly Poly and Lancaster Bomber, who run in the Hong Kong Mile, and Deauville and War Decree, who will tackle the Hong Kong Cup over one and a quarter miles.

The only other Irish-trained runner on Sha Tin’s big day will be Max Dynamite, who is on his way back from Australia where he finished in the first three in the Melbourne Cup for the second time.

He goes in the Vase and Willie Mullins has booked Glyn Schofield, a South African based in Sydney, for the seven-year-old, who ran third behind Rekindling and Johannes Vermeer at Flemington.

Dermot Weld, who trained Additional Risk to win the inaugural running of the Hong Kong Invitation Bowl (now the Hong Kong Mile) in 1991, had been planning to run three-time Group 3 winner Eziyra in the Vase. However, connections had a rethink and the Aga Khan-owned filly, who finished third behind Enable in the Irish Oaks, will race on as a four-year-old when she will be campaigned at Group 1 level.

High hopes for Harty chaser

We didn't see a lot of Coney Island last season but what we did see in his three races over fences was enough to suggest he should be worth watching when he returns to action in the near future.

On only his second start over fences, the Eddie Harty-trained six-year-old won the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse on this weekend 12 months ago.

At Leopardstown's Christmas meeting he ran subsequent Irish Grand National winner Our Duke to half a length in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Chase over three miles. Disco, who has done plenty for the form since, was another half length back in third and a long way clear of the rest.

Coney Island: a Grade 1 winner who has an exciting profileCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Despite his curtailed campaign there was plenty of form book evidence to indicate that the son of Flemensfirth should be capable of further Grade 1 success over the coming weeks and months. What route connections decide on will be interesting.

The same comment applies to Min, who started off his campaign with a facile win against two rivals at Gowran Park last weekend. He achieved what he was entitled to achieve on what we saw of him in his two chases last season. The Gowran race was over two and a half miles and did it tell us that Min gets the trip well? It was little more than a schooling session, so the jury is out. Let's wait and see what happens next.

Members can read the latest exclusive interviews, news analysis and comment available from 6pm daily on racingpost.com