Jack expected to be a red hot favourite for special bumper

Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper | 2m | ATR

Some quality horses have emerged from this race – run in memory of successful jump jockey turned Tattersalls Ireland managing director George Mernagh – and none more so than Cheltenham Festival winner Moon Racer, who won in 2014 as a 50-1 shot trained by the little-known Michael Ronayne and ridden by Mark Lynch.

This time around it is the Noel Meade-trained Red Jack who is setting the standard and likely to go off a short-priced favourite in the colours of JP McManus.

He beat Debuchet on debut at Naas in January, form that has been repeatedly franked by that rival, who finished second in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham before winning a Listed contest at Limerick last week.

Gordon Elliott runs Dorydalis in this €100,000 contest, a point-to-point winner and the mount of Jamie Codd, along with fellow Gigginstown-owned Commandant, while Dinons makes his rules debut for the stable.

The trainer said: “Dorydalis is a nice horse who has already won his point-to-point well. He'll like the ground and is working nicely.

“Commandant is a nice Presenting horse but probably more of a long-term prospect. He'll be a nice horse for next year, and if he gets a nice education I'd be happy.

"Dinons is similar in that he's a lovely horse that works well but it's all about next year for him."

Willie Mullins relies on Special Ted, who has been overlooked by Patrick Mullins, who heads to Cork in his pursuit of winners as he bids to be crowned champion amateur, meaning Richard Deegan comes in for the ride.

The trainer said: “He's a four-year-old by Soldier Hollow and makes his debut. He's a bumper/hurdling type and has been showing us bits of ability at home.”

Fairyhouse racecourse manager Peter Roe expects some showers on Sunday morning and forecasts good to yielding ground.

He said on Saturday: “At the moment we're expecting a couple of millimetres of rain tomorrow morning. We watered the track yesterday evening and we think the ground is on the easy side of good.

"We expect to have good to yielding ground tomorrow, while it’s good in places.”