Fakir D'Oudairies to miss Lingfield feature in favour of potential Allaho clash

Winter Million feature favourite Fakir D'Oudairies is set to miss Sunday's £150,000 Fleur De Lys Chase in favour of a potential clash with Allaho in the Grade 2 Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase (3.15) at Thurles on the same day.

An impressive winner of the Grade 1 registered as the Melling Chase at Aintree last season, the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old had been priced up as the 9-4 favourite to land the inaugural running of the 2m6f event at Lingfield.

Fakir D'Oudairies could face a trio of Gigginstown-owned Grade 1 winners in Notebook, Battleoverdoyen and Samcro should he appear against Allaho at Thurles.

3.15 Thurles Sunday: racecard and entries

Top-level winner Franco De Port has also been handed an entry for the 2m4f event, better known as the Kinloch Brae, with the potential field completed by Sizing Pottsie, Daly Tiger, Alohamora and Scheu Time.

Fakir D'Oudairies: made an impressive return in the Clonmel Oil Chase before finishing fourth at PunchestownCredit: David Keane

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, trainer Joseph O'Brien told the Racing Post: "He's probably not going to travel this weekend and could instead run at Thurles on Sunday.

"He has options in Britain later in the season and it might be a lot of travelling to head over and back three or four times. It's more likely he'll go to Thurles."

Fakir D'Oudairies is a best price 12-1 with William Hill to turn the tables on Allaho in the Ryanair Chase, his sole entry at the Cheltenham Festival, having finished second to that rival in the Grade 1 last season.

O'Brien said: "We have an eye on the Ryanair Chase, as well as Aintree where he performed so well last spring."

Exciting novice hurdler Eric Bloodaxe could fly the flag for O'Brien in the opening Grade 1 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at next month's Dublin Racing Festival.

Eric Bloodaxe: created fine impression when winning at Limerick last monthCredit: David Keane

Having been turned over by subsequent Grade 1 winner Ginto at Navan on his previous start, the Gigginstown-owned seven-year-old won convincingly in Grade 2 company at Limerick last month.

That effort sees him as short as 10-1, and no bigger than 16-1, for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

O'Brien said: "He could possibly head to Leopardstown, he has an option there, but that hasn't really been discussed yet. I'd imagine he'll go to Leopardstown or else head straight to Cheltenham.

"I thought he got to the line well at Limerick and seemed to handle the [testing] ground – it was a good performance. The Albert Bartlett looks the obvious race for him."

Dublin Racing Festival: big-race entries

Assemble, another talented Gigginstown-owned performer with O'Brien, has been absent since landing the Kerry National at Listowel in September, but is seemingly on the comeback trail.

O'Brien said: "He had a little hold up but fingers crossed he might be around for Aintree or something like that if things go smoothly between now and then."

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