HENRY HAS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

BLACK KEY should belatedly open his hurdling account in today’s Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle in Fairyhouse.

The six-year-old Authorized gelding is trained by Henry de Bromhead, above, who got Identity Thief back to his best to bag Grade 1 glory in Aintree last Saturday.

And Black Key boasts plenty of solid placed form and a rating of 119, which should make him tough to beat in a typical end-of-season maiden hurdle.

A winner on the flat for Hughie Morrison in England, Black Key has, admittedly, had plenty of opportunities over hurdles and has finished in the frame in six of his eight starts over obstacles.

He was a beaten favourite when third to Uradel (started favourite for the €100,000 handicap hurdle on this track on Tuesday) at Listowel in June and was then off the track until returning and making his handicap debut at the Easter meeting here, when he finished third to Western Ruler.

With Dylan Robinson on board, Black Key is stepping back up to two and a half miles and should prove tough to beat, with Catwalk King the chief danger.

Willie Mullins, inset, who notched a double here on Tuesday, has obvious claims in both bumpers, with Castle North, runner-up to subsequent winner Getaway John on his debut at Punchestown setting the standard in the National Hunt Finale Flat Race.

Although well beaten in that four-runner affair, he should be capable of a bumper success and is preferred to Gordon Elliott’s Dinons and a few interesting newcomers.

Dinons chased home the smart Red Jack in the valuable Tattersalls Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse 13 months ago but flopped, when favourite, at Punchestown in December in his only other start.

That latter effort was too bad to be true – he was beaten with a half-mile to race. And he is feared today.

In the earlier mares bumper, the Mullinstrained Ifyoucatchmenow, second to Mary B at Gowran Park in mid-february, should make a bold bid under owner-rider David Dunsdon.

Off the track since finishing fourth to Moyross in Galway in September, the Gordon Elliott-trained Creaden Grae might be good enough to land the fairyhouse.ie Maiden Hurdle on his return to action.

This Scorpion gelding had earlier finished second to Bosco Di Alco in Down Royal, with a couple of subsequent winners behind.

And, sure to be fit and ready for his comeback run, he is preferred to Shark Hanlon’s Robin The Hare, no match for Stoneford in Cork last time.