Heading to Fairyhouse on Easter Monday? Then have a gander at this as we try to sift through the trends and stats for you in the Boylesports Irish Grand National.
We’re heading down to cover the Boylesports Irish Grand National on Easter Monday and to be honest with you, we can’t wait. It is one of the biggest days in the Irish sporting calendar and with some class entries this year, it should be a belting race.
But, as well as enjoying the spectacle we’d love to be able to pick the winner and make a few quid too. So we’ve sifted through the trends, the form and the weather to try and narrow it down for you.
While the race is not quite as long as its Aintree equivalent, the three mile, five furlong test is just that, a test. Horses need to have stamina and to have a decent turn of pace, especially if the ground is good.
Age is a serious factor. While older horses tend to be the best bet in the Liverpool event, a slightly younger horse tends to take home the big one on this side of the Irish Sea. Six of the last eight winners have been aged between six and eight and no horse over 10 has won it in the last decade but the last two winners, Lion Na Bearnai and Liberty Counsel (main pic), were 10-year-olds when taking the prize.
Weights, as expected in a long race like this, are also crucial. The last 10 winners all carried less than 10-8 and the last horse to win with more than 11 stone of weight was Commanche Court in 2000.
Top weight in the race hasn’t even placed over the last decade, so beware those at the head of the field.
As for the betting, it is a race for long shots, with seven of the last 10 winners juicily priced in the 20/1 to 50/1 range. Favourites have no wins, and only two places, over the last decade, so make sure you scan down the race card, that’s more than likely where you will find the winner.
As for trainers and jockeys to watch, two of the biggest names in Irish racing have never won this race. Willie Mullins, the king of Irish National Hunt training, has incredibly never landed this race so keep an eye on his runners, who he is sure to have primed for this one. As for jocks, Barry Geraghty has never won the race either (his brother Ross has, aboard The Bunny Boiler in 2002) and after a great season so far at both Cheltenham and Aintree, whoever he sits on is sure to be one to watch.
Finally, with the weather dry and warm, and with the forecast for the Easter weekend to be more of the same, it will be necessary to water to ensure good safe ground, come the off at 5.00pm on Monday.
We’ll be there, and to make sure you are too, click this link to buy your ticket.
