The feature race on the Saturday Card of the Fairyhouse Irish Grand National Meeting is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF(Mares)Novice Hurdle. It is a Grade 1 race with a prize fund of €90,000 run over 2m4f.
It looks like being by far the best Mares Hurdle race run in Ireland this season. The remaining 7 entries have pre-race official ratings in excess of 125.The Willie Mullin’s trained Annie Power (OR 145) looks like real the star entry and is already being talked about as a potential 2014 Champion Hurdle winner in some circles. Zuzka, Glens Melody and Unika La Ronce are also trained by Mullins and are likely to be scrapping it out for the minor placings with Michael Winter’s Missunited.
Fairyhouse Grade 1 Mares Novice Hurdle Stats
Age: 7 of last 8 winners aged 6 or 7.
Trainer: Willie Mullins has not trained the winners since 2003. Missubited’s trainer Michael winters won this in 2010 with For Bill.
Jockey: Davy Russell has ridden 2 of the last 3 winners. Paul Carberry has ridden two winners since 2005.
Starting Price: No winning favourite since 2005. 2 winning favourites in last 10. 3 of the last 10 were returned at 12-1 or more.
Fairyhouse Grade 1 Mares Novice Hurdle Winners 2003-2012
| Year | Winner | Age | Weight | OR | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| 2012 | Shadow Eile (IRE) | 7 | 11-0 | 121 | Mrs D A Love | A J McNamara | 11-2 |
| 2011 | Knockfierna (IRE) | 6 | 11-3 | 0 | C Byrnes | D N Russell | 6-1 |
| 2010 | For Bill (IRE) | 7 | 11-0 | 0 | M Winters | D N Russell | 100-30 |
| 2009 | Shirley Casper (IRE) | 8 | 10-11 | 118 | DT Hughes | B J Geraghty | 8-1 |
| 2008 | Oscar Rebel (IRE) | 6 | 10-11 | 0 | W J Burke | P Carberry | 14-1 |
| 2007 | Grangeclare Lark (IRE) | 6 | 11-3 | 0 | D T Hughes | R Loughran | 7-1 |
| 2006 | Cailin Alainn (IRE) | 7 | 10-11 | 0 | C Byrnes | B M Cash | 12-1 |
| 2005 | Asian Maze (IRE) | 6 | 11-4 | 126 | T Mullins | P Carberry | 3-1F |
| 2004 | Greenhall Rambler (IRE) | 5 | 10-10 | 108 | P A Fahy | J L Cullen | 14-1 |
| 2003 | Nobody Told Me | 5 | 11-3 | W P Mullins | Ruby Walsh | 4-1 JF |
