Intense Assault On Irish Grand National
It's April Fools Day so keep your wits about you!
The Irish Grand National is up today at Fairyhouse with the Aintree and Scottish Nationals taking place over the next few weeks. I love the nationals as they are a proper jumping test for any National Hunt Horse.
The 21 runners today have to try negotiate 24 fences over three miles and five furlongs on soft to heavy ground. What a test of jockey and horse and you can watch this fantastic race on ITV racing at 5pm today.
Intense Raffles has chasing experience in France and has won both his starts over fences in Ireland. He jumps like a natural and has proven he handles Irish heavy ground fine. The handicapper raised him 13lbs following his latest win here over three miles in February. That run was good on the clock as Daryll Jacob allowed Intense Raffles to coast home when in the clear between the final two fences. The big question is will this French Bred 6yo stay the 3m5f trip. I think his good jumping will help to get into a good rhythm which his essential for lasting home on testing ground. JJ Slevin comes in for the spare ride with Daryl Jacob out injured. Thomas Gibney trains close to Fairyhouse in County Meath and likes to target his race.
Frontal Assault has been frustrating over fences with a single win to his name from 17 chase runs. That win statistic doesn’t tell the full story as he finished runner up in this race in 2022 behind Lord Lariat when rated 139. We know he stays and will handle the holding ground with proven stamina form in the book. To be honest his latest three runs are not inspiring, so we need to forgive those runs and believe this race has been his season target. I like the form of his Porterstown Chase run at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival in December. That fourth-place run was carrying 11-6 with the winner Street Value & second placed History of Fashion carrying low weights. Frontal Assault is well handicapped again on today’s mark of 135. He is even better handicapped with 7lb claimer Carl Millar riding. At a big price I cannot allow the 9yo Frontal Assault go off at huge odds without backing him with 10-6 on his back.
Of the rest I would look at possibly Willie Mullins low weighted Wellhavewan who raced too freely in the National trial race at Punchestown recently. If 5lb claiming jockey Kieran O'Callaghan can get Wellhavewan to settle early in the race he has a good chance. Gavin Cromwell trained Yeah Man to win a Grand National trial race at Haydock over 3m4.5f on heavy ground. That win proved Yeah Man stays and can handle testing conditions. He likes to be patiently ridden so with some luck in running to avoid trouble, can come home strongly at the business end of this valuable race with €270,000 to the winner!
Fairyhouse 5:00
0.5 point each way Intense Raffles6/1 William Hill, Unibet & Bet365, 6 places.
0.5 point each way Frontal Assault 28/1 Bet365 else 28/1 Betvictor, Coral & Ladbrokes, all 6 places.
Compare Odds at https://www.oddschecker.com/horse-racing
Past Results
Click to see past Big Saturday Race Preview Tips results
The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5,834 metres), and during its running there are twenty-four fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on Easter Monday.
It is the Irish equivalent of the Grand National, and it is held during Fairyhouse's Easter Festival meeting.
History
The event was established in 1870, and the inaugural running was won by a horse called Sir Robert Peel. The race took place at its present venue, and the winner's prize money was 167 sovereigns. In the early part of its history it was often won by horses trained at the Curragh, and there were ten such winners by 1882. The Easter Monday fixture regularly attracted racegoers from Dublin, and it became known as the Dubs' Day Out.
Several winners of the Irish Grand National have also won its English counterpart at Aintree, but none in the same year. The first to complete the double was Ascetic's Silver, the winner of the latter version in 1906. The feat has been achieved more recently by Rhyme 'n' Reason, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde. The most successful horse in the event's history is Brown Lad, a three-time winner in the 1970s.
Since 1991, the distance of the race has been 3 miles and 5 furlongs; previously it had been 3 miles and 4 furlongs.
The Irish Grand National was sponsored by Irish Distillers under various titles for many years up to 2010. Ladbrokes sponsored the race from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, Boylesports took over as Irish Grand National sponsor and appointed the jockey Barry Geraghty as the first ever ambassador for the race, promoting the race through various channels, including social media.
Winners over past 10 years
| Year | Winner | Age | Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | I Am Maximus | 7 | 11-01 | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins |
| 2022 | Lord Lariat | 7 | 09-12 | PJ O'Hanlon | Dermot McLoughlin |
| 2021 | Freewheelin Dylan | 9 | 10-08 | Ricky Doyle | Dermot McLoughlin |
| 2020 | no race [b] | ||||
| 2019 | Burrows Saint | 6 | 10-08 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins |
| 2018 | General Principle | 9 | 10-00 | James Slevin | Gordon Elliott |
| 2017 | Our Duke | 7 | 11-04 | Robbie Power | Jessica Harrington |
| 2016 | Rogue Angel | 8 | 10-06 | Ger Fox | Mouse Morris |
| 2015 | Thunder And Roses | 7 | 10-06 | Katie Walsh[a] | Sandra Hughes |
| 2014 | Shutthefrontdoor | 7 | 10-13 | Barry Geraghty | Jonjo O'Neill |
| 2013 | Liberty Counsel | 10 | 09-05 | Ben Dalton | Dot Love |
Best of Luck,
Nicky