Tracks from Plumpton to Ffos Las and at several points in between will be hoping to see Bank Holiday racegoers pouring through the turnstiles on Monday, but the undoubted highlight of the Easter weekend is the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse – the most valuable race of the jumps season in the country that is, for the moment at least, the dominant force in National Hunt racing.
It is unusual for a big race to be attached to a moveable feast, with a slot in the calendar that could be anywhere from the last week of March to late April. Some years, it is staged shortly after the Cheltenham Festival; in others, a week or more after the original Grand National at Aintree.
It is perhaps not surprising in the circumstances that no horse has won the big race at Fairyhouse and Aintree in the same season, but there are still some all-time greats on the Irish National’s roll of honour, including Arkle, who won under top weight of 12 stone in 1964, and Desert Orchid, who managed the same feat, and survived a horrible mistake at the last to boot, 26 years later.
In recent years, the Irish Grand National has also been a useful guide towards the following season’s Aintree showpiece. Bobbyjo (1998) and Numbersixvalverde (2005) both went on to win in Liverpool a year later, while I Am Maximus, who took this race in 2023, is among the favourites for the Grand National on Saturday week.
Novices also have a decent record, while horses with less than 11 stone to carry have won 20 of the 23 races since 2000.
The runners on Monday that fit the bill include Good Time Jonny, last year’s Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Final winner at Cheltenham, who would add a dash of controversy were he to win as Tony Martin, his trainer, will lose his licence for three months from mid-May after a breach of the anti-doping rules.
Huntingdon
12.35 Annie Day
1.05 Rock House
1.35 Happy Index
2.10 Copernic Du Mazet
2.45 Mixedwave
3.20 Gazette Bourgeoise
3.55 Notimeforanother
4.30 Silver Thorn
Fakenham
1.27 Blue Universe
1.57 Glance At Me
2.32 Jerrash
3.07 Up For Parol
3.42 Cloudy Wednesday
4.16 Star Walking
Wolverhampton
1.40 Percy Willis
2.15 Pappano
2.53 Bob The Bandit
3.28 Coast
4.03 Miguel
4.38 Reputation
5.13 Revolucion
5.48 Jojo Rabbit
Kempton Park
1.45 Pont Neuf
2.20 Ghostlore
2.55 Lion’s Pride (nb)
3.30 Liseo
4.05 The Thames Boatman
4.40 Vultar
5.15 Green Power
Plumpton
2.25 Scarface (nap)
3.00 Always Busy
3.35 William Ewart
4.10 Saladins Son
4.45 Sanitiser
5.20 Toothless
5.55 Ken Roy
Chepstow
2.35 Idefix De Ciergues
3.10 Bonza Boy
3.45 Ballee
4.18 Prince Quali
4.55 Il Va De Soi
5.30 Aeronisi
6.00 Celtic Dino
He goes to post with a live chance, but at the likely odds, Paul Nolan’s Daily Present (5.00) also makes plenty of appeal. He needed four starts over fences to get off the mark, in a handicap at Down Royal in January, but then attracted plenty of support before finishing fifth in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival. He has just 10st 5lb on his back on Monday, and could well outrun his early price of around 20-1.
Plumpton 2.25 Arriving in the form of his life having posted a career-best to win at Sandown last time, Scarface has winning form over this track and trip too. A 3lb rise for his latest success looks fair.
Kempton 2.55 Dubai Honour, a dual Group One winner in Australia last year, is the class act here but was beaten at odds‑on on his only previous all‑weather start and faces a useful opponent in Lion’s Pride. John Gosden’s lightly raced four‑year-old beat a subsequent Group One winner on his final start at three and looks the type to make significant progress this year.
Pontefract 1.45 Dandy Devil 2.15 Throne Hall 2.45 Goobinator 3.15 Vintage Clarets 3.45 Twilight Romance 4.15 Bustaam 4.45 Wintercrack
Ludlow 2.00 Terresita 2.30 Get Sky High 3.00 El Saviour (nap) 3.30 Jet Plane (nb) 4.00 Passing Kate 4.30 Before Midnight
Wolverhampton 4.55 Virtual Hug 5.30 Bitcoin Profit 6.00 Pique’ 6.30 Musical Diva 7.00 Radiant Angel 7.30 Baileys Warrior 8.00 Kraken Diamond 8.30 Trojan Truth
Kempton 3.30 Despite having struggled to build on his win here in January in three subsequent starts, Liseo has shaped as if he is still in decent form and the return to this track and trip could be just what he needs.
Kempton 4.05 A 5lb rise for The Thames Boatman’s recent win might not be enough to prevent him following up, with Ethan Jones’s 7lb claim also a positive.
Kempton 4.40 At least eight of the 10 runners here would have a chance at their best but Vultar, a course-and-distance winner last time, could make the most of his handy draw in stall two.
