Sunday Racing Tips: Hard to pass on Passe at Fairyhouse

There are now just two meetings across Britain and Ireland on Sunday - both National Hunt fare and highlighted by Fairyhouse's card which features three Grade 1 contests.

Amongst our Sunday fancies is a potential Champion Hurdle hope having their first run against fully-fledged Grade 1 horses at Fairyhouse.

13:25 Fairyhouse - Encanto Bruno @ 10/3

The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle is the first Grade 1 on the card at Fairyhouse.

As you might expect, some of these horses are still learning, but that is not the case with Encanto Bruno, who got plenty of experience in bumpers and has looked a complete natural over hurdles since starting off in the summer.

Before his last start, in a 2m4f race at Cheltenham, Encanto Bruno went from John McConnell to Gavin Cromwell and he immediately looked to have improved for the switch.

At Cheltenham he dominated the field and jockey Keith Donoghue did not have to so much as shake the reins for him to power clear from the last.

Given his obvious speed, dropping back to 2m should not be an issue and Encanto Bruno can make his greater experience count.

14:35 Fairyhouse - Impaire Et Passe @ 8/13

With Constitution Hill still yet to see the track this season, the Champion Hurdle picture is still not fully settled. If the champion is not himself at Sandown next week, the whole division is blown wide open and Impaire Et Passe is among the best placed to challenge.

This horse shot to prominence in the spring, winning the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and then following up at Punchestown the following month.

On both occasions he showed devastating speed, so for all his spring wins came around 2m4f there are few concerns about him dropping back to the minimum trip.

He will not have to yet, as Sunday's Hatton's Grace Hurdle is over 2m4½f. Still, it is a race often won by Champion Hurdle types and it is sometimes where speed and staying hurdlers meet.

That is the case this year, as second favourite and defending champion Teahupoo finished third in the Stayers' Hurdle at the festival in March. He is expected to be fit for this defence in the Hatton's Grace, but Impaire Et Passe is likely to have too many gears for him.

14:45 Carlisle - Hostile Hotelier @ 6/4

There is an all-hurdles card at Carlisle, in which this 2m3½f handicap for horses rated 100 or less features.

Technically, Hostile Hotelier has already improved out of this grade. After three runs in novice hurdles, he was backed on his return to action at Hexham recently and won convincingly from a mark of 100.

He has since been revised to 105, putting him out of this grade, but he was entered here before his new mark took effect so he can have one more attempt at this basement level before advancing into better company.

Connections have even managed to offset much of the rise Hostile Hotelier incurred for winning at Hexham. Taking the ride now is promising claimer Patrick Wadge.

Even under a rarely seen burden of 12st5lb, Hostile Hotelier ought to take plenty of stopping and, given he has form in 3m point-to-points, this longer trip is no concern either.