DAIR TO DREAM

Fakir can Pour on the pressure

FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES might prove too strong for Chacun Pour Soi in a fascinating clash of Grade 1 performers in the horse & Jockey hotel Chase, Grade 2 twin-feature of tomorrow’s card in Thurles. Between them, they have won 10 Grade 1 chases.

And Chacun Pour Soi’s legion of fans hope he can cope with this first venture over an extended two and a half miles as he bids to bounce back from his seasonal debut defeat at Leopardstown, where a blunder at the second last scuppered his chance behind Blue Lord.

Willie Mullins appears to believe the 11-year-old doesn’t have a stamina issue, having entered him for both the Irish Gold Cup and Stayers Hurdle.

But Chacun Pour Soi’s best form is at two miles, including his defeat of Allaho in the 2021 Champion Chase at Punchestown, a race in which he chased home Energumene last April.

I’ve been a huge fan of Chacun since the first day I saw him. But I’m not convinced that he’ll cope with his younger rival, Fakir D’oudairies, here.

At his best in the spring, and over tomorrow’s trip, Fakir has won Aintree’s Marsh Chase twice and, last season, also bagged the Ascot Chase.

Put in his place by Allaho in this race 12 months ago, Fakir was a well-beaten fifth behind that rival when tried over three miles in the Punchestown Gold Cup last spring.

And, on his seasonal bow last month, he was no match for Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan, also at Punchestown.

Rated only 4lb below Chacun, but at his best over this trip and, perhaps, with more improvement to come, Fakir D’oudairies gets a hesitant vote with J J Slevin (inset) onbroad, successful on him twice during his juvenile hurdle campaign and deputising for Mark Walsh who is still struggling with a rib injury sustained over Christmas.

On ratings, another of the Mullins runners, Royal Rendezvous, is surprisingly the equal of Fakir D’oudairies and receiving weight. But he was well beaten in the Savills last time.